We left the Oregon Coast and headed to Mick and Martha's place in Richland, Oregon.  Now, I would have taken the I-205 route and avoided driving the trailer through Portland.  But John always takes the fastest, direct route, so through Portland we went!  To make it worse, we had to go over the highest bridge! To my relief, he handled it like a pro.  Whew!  

We have never been able to spend real time with Mick and Martha at their place.  They are always so fun to be with and it was so nice to be there at their place with them.  They took us for drives to see their favorite places and cooked us the best food!  Mick did wings and Martha made the sides. They are such a great team in the kitchen.  

We stayed at a really nice RV park and woke up to peaceful views of the farm next to us.  The irrigation was on and the geese sounded off as they came and went. 

From Richland, we headed north, crossing through gorgeous farmland and past Lake Coeur d'Alene.  We decided to save Idaho for another trip because it is close enough to get back to and we want to make sure and get to New England before the leaves are done changing.  Same for Glacier Park in Montana.

We stopped for a couple of days in Missoula.  

The first day there, we did a hike into Morrell Falls.  It was a really nice trail, some climbing, but mostly flat.  The forrest had been through a fire and all the trees were burnt.  Below the charcoal trunks the fireweed was in full bloom. It was such a strange contrast between the devastation and the new life.

The falls was beautiful.  While we were there a man and woman and their dog were playing along the creek.  She came up to us holding something out and was so excited.  She wanted to know if we agreed that it was a dinosaur tooth.  It sure looked like one to us. What a find!

The next day, we went on a bike ride.  The Hiawatha Trail.  An old railroad track that has been turned into a bike trail.  We started up at the top, went through 10 tunnels and over 7 trestles, all of it at a slight downhill.  I really enjoyed it, John not so much.  Bike riding isn't his thing. Once at the bottom, they load your bikes and drive you back to where you parked your car.

Flowers from our hike and bike trails.

We drove on to Billings and saw Mark and Terri for a couple of days.  Since we had stayed with them before, we didn't need to see the local sights again.  We spent time visiting with them at their place and ours. Mark made us some great ribs and Terri did the sides.

The view behind our site was of this gorgeous cliff. Terri said it was Sacrifice Cliff.  One day there, it clouded up and we had lighting and thunder and then a downpour.  The sky with that cliff was amazing!  Just a little walk from our site was the Yellowstone River.

And then off we went to North Dakota!

I love the sights along the way.  John thinks it is a waste of time to shoot from the truck as we are moving, but I don't think they turn out too bad. And the names of some of the towns along the way!  'Home On The Range'.  It is funny to me how many towns are the same names as towns from Oregon too.

Our next destination was Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.

We stayed in Medora. I can't believe that most people here didn't think they needed to wear masks.  We went into a restaurant for dinner and walked back out.  Nobody there had a mask on!  The next place was better, and we had a great table on the patio looking over the town with the sun setting.  A storm cloud rolled in and we watched a lightning storm while we ate.

Roosevelt Park was not what I expected.  There were no trees.  But it was amazing, none the less!  So many photos, because it was so beautiful!

This shot makes me think of the Egyptian pyramids.  

...of course, flowers, even in a dry wasteland.

But the real reason to be there...the animals!

Part of the park has a petrified forrest.  Huge tree trunks turned to rock.  One even had petrified pitch.

We headed south to South Dakota.

They even bale the hay beside the road here.

Our next destination was the Black Hills.  First, we stopped on the way through Sturgis.  The annual bike rally was happening.  John's best friend Fred had gone there with his son Freddy right after he retired.  John thought he would like to see what it was all about.  First thing we noticed was nobody was masking up!  All those people and we were the only ones with a mask on, it seemed.  We looked around, bought a shirt, had lunch and left.  It was pretty amazing to see so many bikes in one place!

I could not help but notice all the patriotism.  They had their homes all decorated up.

We had two places we parked in Custer.  The first one was supposed to be for the whole week, but we realized that when making reservations, that there is a difference between the last night you want to sleep there and the day you are checking out.  We tried to add on another night, but it was already booked, so we moved to another place that last night.  The first place was a really nice place, but there was zero phone or internet reception.  I had to walk up the hill every time I wanted to be on the phone.  The second place had perfect phone and internet.  It turns out that we also figured out at the first camp, how to receive the local TV stations and cable!  After three weeks of this, and zero TV, except when there was decent wifi to receive our Netflix or Prime, I asked the office how it all works.  They sent two guys to our camp and one of them has a Roku TV like ours and now I know exactly what to do when we pull in to a new place.  Little by little, it is all coming together.

We even took a day off being the 'tourist' and had a pool day.

The second camp had some really nice teepees. 

All over this area, there are buffalo that are painted in different designs.  I like this one with the mountain goats.

Mt. Rushmore.  

I knew I had to see it, but I sure didn't expect to be as impressed with it as I was.  

A facebook friend pointed out that there are really 5 faces up there.  

As we rounded the corner on our way out, there is a really nice profile shot of George Washington.

The Crazy Horse sculpture can be seen right from the highway.  

They have a night light show.  John didn't want to see it, so I drove myself there to check it out.  They have you park in a high parking lot and you watch it from there, with the sound coming from some speakers they have up there for it.  The sculpture is just barely begun, with only his head and a hand.  It is predicted that it will take another 30 years to finish it.  The final part of the light show is what it will look like when it is done. I enjoyed it and am glad I went. It is really impressive how they can make it all appear out of rock.  There is an Indian museum there that is full of artifacts.  Well worth stopping to see.

I saw on the map how close we were to Devils Tower in Wyoming.  It has been on my list for years.  I don't know why, but I thought it was closer to Yellowstone.  Even though we have been to Yellowstone already, we plan on going back and spending some time hiking, which we didn't have time for the last time there.  I planned on seeing Devils Tower when we were there.  But then I saw how close we were to it, so  we decided to do the 2 hour drive to see it.  That was such a great choice!  I loved it. 

The drive there was so pretty too with red cliffs and rocks.  

 So unique to see this massive tower rising out from the plain.    

We walked around it.  It felt sacred and holy.

The movie, Close Encounters, was filmed there.  They had a little alien there all dressed up with a face mask even.

All around it were little bundles, feathers and ribbons, tied into the trees.  I have seen them before in pictures.  They are prayer pouches.  Native Indians from various tribes leave them as a remembrance when they visit.

The tower is also used by rock climbers.  They were so far up there you could hardly see them.

We stopped at a little cafe on the way back.  Hilarious decorations and and Indian Fry Bread Taco.

The next day, we decided to take a drive.  We got off track from where we were headed, but came to this lake.  As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the lake that I had seen in travel pages before.  Such a unique lake, full of huge boulders that go right to the shore.  We took a little walk around it and decided to come back earlier the next day to take a hike.

I am putting the shots from our hike here, just to keep the lake photos in one place, even though we did the hike the next day.

The hike started out going through a slot between the rocks that had smaller rocks that had fallen part way down.

From there it went down hill...literally.  Huge Boulders that had handrails to help guide you down.  I am not sure if they helped or not.  Sometimes, I just sat down and slid like on a water-slide.  Those rocks were so smooth and slick from all the hikers before us.  It reminded me of when I first learned to ski and thought the ski poles were there to stop me.  I would plant them in the snow and before I knew it my arms were straight behind me and I was hanging on for life.  So it was with those rails as I slid on down the boulders.

It went on for a long time and then finally we were on the bottom and it leveled out and was a normal walk. 

But a hot walk it was.  

When I decide what hike I am going to go on, water of some sort is my destination.  This hike promised waterfalls.  I don't think these should be counted as waterfalls, but that was all they had along the little creek we walked beside.  

I could not believe that we were right level with the same boulders we had been admiring along our drives.

and of course, I spotted a few flowers along the way.

All along the way, the trail sparkled ahead of me. The mountains are

 made up of granite, quartz and mice and the trail was all ground into sparkly sand. 

After we discovered the lake, we drove to Wall Drug in Wall.  It is another one of those famous touristy things you think you have to do.  It isn't until you have done them that you know if it was a waste of time or not.  This was one that was for sure a waste of time.  It is just a huge huge souvenir shop.  One I could easily have passed up.  Oh well, you just never know. But the drive there was eventful when we spotted this heard of goats along the road.

And how could I regret seeing the Oscar Meyer car and Mr Peanut

We decided to go check out Hot Springs the following day.  A friend told me to make sure and see the mammoth dig site.  We drove through Wind Cave National Park to get there.  I could not believe it when we drove right up to a herd of bison!  A really large herd!  We stopped the truck to watch them and it wasn't long before we were surrounded by them.  I didn't know what to shoot first.  It was amazing.

The mammoth site was great, but nothing compared to seeing those bison!

When we first stopped in Sturgis to see the bikes, it was pretty awesome.  But after a week of motorcycles everywhere we went, filling up all the parking, every restaurant, along with the constant sound, it just lost its luster. First off, none of them wore masks, so if they were filling up the sidewalks and restaurants, I didn't want to be around.  The last days of the rally were over and all was quiet after that.

What a lot we didn't take time to see, we left the Black Hills behind and headed east towards Sioux Falls. I have figured out that I have to put limits on the hours that John drives between parks.  The days  we drive too far, things just don't go right when it comes time to set up the trailer.  So a few hours later, we stopped in Chamberlain to stay the night.  It was a beautiful site right on the Missouri River.  We woke up to pouring rain.  I sat under a shelter and had my morning latte and watched the lightning. I also discovered a fallen bird nest.

We headed on to Sioux Falls, with a stop in to the World Famous Corn Palace. When my Mom was a little girl, every year, she and her family would drive to Sioux Falls to see her family.  Every year, they would stop and see the Corn Palace and Mt Rushmore.  It was fun seeing the things she  saw as a little girl.

We drove on past corn fields and sunflower fields and beautiful farms.

I have no idea what this was all about.  First I saw these horns coming out of the corn field 

 then these were on the other side as we passed by.

We finally made it to Sioux Falls.  We met up with my Mother's best cousin Carole.  Mom and Carole are such good friends.  They reunited quite a few years ago and have grown closer as time has gone on. I had hoped that Mom and Dad would be able to travel here with me to visit her and show me the graves of my great grandparents.  But with the Covid, they had to stay home.  It was so nice to spend time with her and get to know her better.  She showed us the gravesites and downtown Sioux Falls and the actual Sioux Falls that runs right through town. I have met Carole before, but always with a bunch of people around and we never really got to know each other.  I now feel like she isn't just my Mom's cousin, she is my friend now too.

I felt emotions I didn't expect as I stood before their graves. I never met them, but I felt this connection to them and a sadness that I never knew them. I have so many questions that will never have answers. A young couple who left their birth land with a young family to find a new life in the US. Imagining what it took for them to make that decision in hopes of something they could only imagine and hope for.  What was their life like there for them to decide to leave? Was it better for them when they arrived? They boarded a ship and crossed an ocean. They came to a country they had never seen and had to learn to communicate in a language they didn't know. On the ship here, their 7 year old son died. What an awful way to begin a new life.  Their little son is buried next to them. Where would I live, what language would I speak, what would my life be like without them and the sacrifices they made? 

I could never have found their graves without Carole's guidance.  The cemetery is down gravel roads in the middle of a corn field surrounded by trees. My Great-Grandfather's other son is also buried there.

Sioux Falls

The next stop was Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We had a place in a Regional Park.  I think we had the best site in the park.  Totally away from everyone.  It was perfect.  There was a little pond right next to us with mirror views of the trees surrounding it. The only thing we needed was to stay there longer!

Minneapolis had a waterfall right in the middle of the city too.  In case you have forgotten which city George Floyd died in, it was here and signs were everywhere, even along the trail in the park to the waterfall.  And a gum wad tree and a cardinal.  I have my eyes open for more since we don't have cardinals in Oregon, it is a rare sight, but a lousy shot.

Minnehaha Falls

We also went to the Mall of America.  It is the largest mall in the USA.  Not only are there stores of every brand, there are amusements and tons of really nice restaurants too.

We had lunch at Bubba Gump's.  All kinds of memorabilia covers the place.

A walk around another lake the next day and then it was time to head north out of the city.

None of the campsites were available along the upper coast of Lake Superior when we tried to book them, so we decided to just book a whole week in Duluth and use it as a home base to see the northern coast.  It was really hard to let go of that perfect site in Minneapolis though.  Once we arrived at the site I forgot all about the old site.  We parked right on a marina at the mouth of the St Louis River and Lake Superior.   Small boats are floating out my back window and there is a little dock where fishermen come to fish.  Sites are not cramped together and we have great wifi!

There is an old railroad track here that has been converted into a bike/walking trail.  I took my bike for a little ride along the river. 

And just to keep things real...it isn't always sunny and a blast. A few days ago, the water pump for when we are not hooked up to water went out. Since we are normally hooked to water, we didn't deal with it right off.  Well, when we got all hooked up here, the electricity only worked in half the trailer. We tried everything, figuring we had a blown fuse.  Nothing helped.  So I asked at the office if they knew of a mobile repairman. He came out and replaced the pump, but could not figure out the electricity.  He decided to come back the next morning with more tools. Overnight, we got to thinking about it, maybe it was at the power connection from the camp.  Sure enough, that was it.  They ended up moving us to another site and now all is back in order.

And it isn't always sunny skies.  That beautiful bay had waves!

So I have a embarrassing story.  When the guy directed John to park, he put us really close to this little trailer.  I noticed Castle Fish House on the window.  It was a tiny trailer, and just reminded me of a food cart.  I asked him if it was going to be a problem for them to serve from with our rig so close. He looked at me really strange. "Its not a food cart, it is a special type of trailer they use up here for ice fishing". Ooopppsss!  He now asks me if I have tried the fish next door yet. 
But really, what does it look like to you?

A fisherman said that the river right in front of us freezes solid and they driver right out there on it!

My first glimpse of Lake Superior. As big as an ocean. Just what I expected.

This is a typical look to most of the towns we drive through. 

Flags, flowers and steeples.

We crossed over the bridge into Wisconsin.  This is the greeting sign to Superior.  I love their logo.

I met a man.  He was sitting alone on the dock one morning.  I said hello and he replied.  He was a quiet man, didn't talk much until I started asking him questions.  Now, I am not normally a chatty person with people I don't know.  John loves to strike up conversations around the parks with strangers.  Me...I kinda hide inside until they go inside their trailers. Small talk is boring to me.  But something about this man kept me asking questions.  It wasn't just small talk. He is 86. He has lived here in Duluth most of his life except for when he was in the Marines during the war.  The more questions I asked, the more he talked and he began volunteering more information.  The time just flew by and I learned so much about him. I think he enjoyed it too.

Tettegouche State Park was our destination.  Along the way, we saw a sign for Gooseberry Falls, so we pulled it.  So glad we did!  Of course so were all the other people who pulled in.  It was packed with people enjoying the last of the summer.  

It is three falls in one stop, each one separated by a span of river.  It was really pretty. (I edited out the people.)

Another stop along the way was Palisade Head.  Huge, high cliffs along the shoreline. I could barely get myself to the edge for this photo.  Unreal how people can actually climb ropes up these cliffs!

This is Shovel Point, another landmark along the shore.

High Falls, the actual reason we drove up north.  We hiked about 5 round trip miles to see it.

Another day, another hike.  Jay Cooke State Park.  I went there because there is a 'swinging' bridge.  Well, it didn't swing, it bounced.  It had a solid wood walkway, so it wasn't scary at all.  We hiked over 5 miles because we took a wrong turn close to the end.  It should have been more like 3-4 miles.

Duluth is full of breweries and cideries, we tried a couple.  We also drove to the top of the hill and climbed a tower to see the view below.  Here is a shot of the bridge that everyone comes here to shoot.  It raises up to allow ships through. We have one in Portland too.  I wonder if people go there to shoot it. We walked the Riverwalk and saw the lighthouse.

I really liked this sculpture in the park.

Well that brings me to the end of our first month on the road.  Here are my thoughts so far:

*We are getting pretty good at setting and reconnecting the trailer.  It was a struggle each time, sometimes it would work in auto and other times it had to be done manually.  We still don't know what makes it decide not to work in auto. But it isn't so frustrating as it was.

*Just when we figure out one thing, another thing comes along that we have to figure out.

*The trailer is still not cramped. 

*He used to drive at least 10 miles over the speed limit.  Now he drives 5 miles less.

*I don't worry about towing the trailer with us anymore.

*Except for one place, one night, these campgrounds have all been so quiet.

*after 3 weeks without TV, we learned how to find local channels at each place.

*after 3 weeks, we found out that most parks have free cable.  All we needed was a cable.

*we finally decided that we needed a wifi booster.  bought one, but the place we are right now has excellent wifi, so we still don't know if it will help.

*I have to admit, I am really homesick. 

When we left Oregon, it was with the plan of flying home at the end of August for Arianna's birthday.  Well, after Emily and Matthew contracted COVID-19 on a flight to Texas, and the kids all saying we should not fly, we made the tough decision to cancel the flight.  It was so hard to do!  I promised her I would be back for her party. Instead, I sent her present via Amazon and watched her celebrate on Facetime.  She understands and it was fine, but it is tough not being there for the grandkids' birthdays.  We had to miss Daniels in March as well.  I know that in the big picture, they won't remember that I missed their day and that there are a lot worse things that others are dealing with, but I really would have preferred to be there to celebrate with them!