Evans Escapades

The City of Presidents–Rapid City South Dakota

2014-08-22T20:22:00.000-05:00

again with the rain. . .

we left Medora Friday morning in a bit of a drizzle. ..

thankfully, we drove out from under it within half an hour

the five hour drive to Rapid City was a bit longer than we’ve been doing. . .

here we are all set up at Lazy J RV Park out on Hwy 16. . .

a bit of a tight squeeze. . .but very doable for a two night stay.

50A FHU Pull Through

and then on Saturday. . .the reason for our stopover in Rapid City. . .

The City of Presidents Walking Tour

We had seen a handful of the Statues when we were here in 2010. . .

we have returned to see them all. . .

a great reason to take a 24 block stroll through the city. . .

We will show you a few of our very faves. . .

Eisenhower – President when both of us were born. . .

Kennedy – the first President I actually remember. . .

I also remember where I was that fateful day. . .

six years old. . .sitting in the car as my Mom came out of the bank crying. . .

Lincoln – the President I remember learning the most about in school

Thomas Jefferson – the man was brilliant. . .wow!
Love reading his stuff and seeing his designs

Teddy Roosevelt – the President with the foresight

to set aside National Park Lands. . .

I’m so thankful!

TEXANS!

our very favorite President – Reagan

City of Presidents - Rapid City South Dakota

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a very appropriate mural. . .

and a couple of fun things. . .

these newlyweds are getting life together started off right!

and the poor mailman. . .I feel your pain buddy. ..

don’t envy you that chore in a couple of months. . .

this is another Stavkirke – a Norwegian House of Worship

discovered on TripAdvisor – Chapel in the Hills

Stavkirke - Chapel in the Hills

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and the finishing touch to our Saturday. . .

a meet up with former co-workers and fellow RV’ers,

Terry and Becky, who we met in Estes Park Colorado,

when we were all Park Hosts there. . .

So great to see you guys again.

We’ll see you next at Custer State Park,

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Theodore Roosevelt National Park–Painted Canyon

2014-08-19T12:30:00.000-05:00

awww. . .well it was just too bad that my Bub

had to go work for a livin’ on Tuesday. . .

so while he’s driving two hours north

to deliver the truck, and meet with the techs,

Sis and I may as well shop and have lunch. . .

Dave decided changing out the water filters,

and recharging the water softener would

be more fun than shopping. . .ha ha!

I’m not much of a tourist shopper,

but I did buy some yummy taffy caramels. . .

(I may need to go back for some more)

we had all decided that we would drive out to the Painted Canyon

after Louis arrived back from “work”. . .because later in the day,

when the sun was lower in the sky, it really lights up all the layers in the sandstone,

and paints quite a picture. . .

a couple of things were very interesting. . .one. . .

that the lignite coal veins can smolder underground if ignited by lightning or by a grass fire,

causing the caps of the mounds to turn red, as you can see in the above pic. . .

and two. . .that during heavy rainstorms, such as the area received last Friday,

the face of the mounds literally slide down to the base. . .that would be amazing to see.

we were so thrilled with having seen the wild horses yesterday

(actually “feral horses” is the correct terminology as these horses came from domesticated stock)

anyway. . .we decided to go drive the South Unit Loop again. . .and yaaa. . .

another, different group of three. . .

since both groups have been all males, I’m thinking perhaps these are the “teenagers”

who are not yet old enough to have established their own “brood of mares”. . .

but that is just conjecture on my part. . .don’t really know that for a fact. . .

seeing a couple of turkeys was cool too. . .

but, having read Sherry’s Blog last month. . .we know there is a herd of horses

here in the park. . .and that is what we want to see. . .ONWARD!

now, there are three of us watching, watching, watching for the herd. . .

but Dave. . .who is driving. . .is the ONE who sees them. . .

way, way out on a ridgeline. . .

it took binoculars, and all the zoom my camera had to bring them in this close. . .

just realized, looking at that pic again, that there is a colt nursing. . .

he looks awful big for all that. . .good grief, it’s almost as big as the Mom. . .whoa!

thank the Lord for camera zooms. . .right?

Louis and Kim leave in the morning. . .heading back to Texas.

Dave and I have decided to NOT drive the 175 mile round trip

to see the North Unit of TRNP, which is considered the “Badlands Area.”

We will be doing a two night stop at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. . .

It’s my understanding that is the setting for Dances with Wolves. . .

I think I will try to watch it between now and then. . .we’ll see!

This has been a great stop in our journey. . .

one that we highly recommend if you are coming this way. . .

See you next time in Rapid City South Dakota. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Theodore Roosevelt National Park–South Unit

2014-08-18T11:52:00.000-05:00

our parking spot at Red Trail Campground in Medora North Dakota

is pretty great. ..way in the back. . .50A FHU. . .loving it

if you are parked in the front section, near the train tracks,

although there are no train whistles at the crossings. . .evidently, it’s pretty loud. . .

tickled that my Bub, and his Princess, my sis in law. . .

have made it to North Dakota to explore

Theodore National Park with us. . .

you may recall they were able to meet us at Niagara Falls last summer. . .

a division of the company my Bub is a supervisor for,

services the cooling units for the oil rigs. . .
His company has technicians all over the country

and they need to have supplies delivered to them.

This trip, Bub needed to bring one of the techs

a brand spanking new work truck,

and take the old truck back to Texas. . .

It’s a tough job, but someone must make the sacrifice

to travel the country, and keep the guys happy.

Needless to say. . .we were thrilled to see them and get our hugs!

now. . .on to the Star of the Show. . .

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

first stop. . .the Visitor Center to purchase our America the Beautiful Pass. . .

since we haven’t yet reached the magical discount age of 62. . .

we gladly pay the $80 fee to renew it annually. . .worth every penny!

we decide the best plan for the day is to drive the South Loop Road. . .

starting at the Visitor Center. . .you can see it in red on the map.

our first stop. . .Skyline Overlook. . .where I meet up with. ..guess who?

A retired Postal Worker. . .yes indeedy. . .a former Postmaster in North Dakota. . .

see. . .that’s why ya gotta talk to folks. . .’cause there’s all kinda interesting stuff to know!

She and her hubs own a North Dakota soybean farm. . .

and were taking a quick getaway trip before harvesting begins. . .

next stop . . .Wind Canyon. . .required a little hike to the top and around. . .

so worth it for this view of the Little Missouri River. . .

and from just behind this highest point. ..

a view of the buffalo herd, which would not have been visible from the road

cool rock formations. . .

what I think may be a Rock Wren. . .

Wind Canyon - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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next stop. . .Badlands Overlook. . .

beauty in every direction. . .

and as we turn the corner to Buck Hill. . .

look who we find. . .a mule deer, who seems to be saying. . .

You lookin’ at me?

but. . .here is our REWARD for the day. . .

this fabulous little band of wild horses. . .

standing right out beside the road.

They did not seem to be bothered in the least by the papprazzi. . .

Wild Horses - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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and then we were told by our FaceBook RV friend, Marilu,

to not miss the Medora Musical . . .

$31 upper seating. . .$35 lower seating. . .

and the Pitchfork Steak Fondue supper. . .lots of fun. . .

$28 each for the Steak and Sides. . .or. . .

$28 each for the Buffalo Roast, Chicken, Ribs and Sides. . .or. . .

$14 each for just the Steamtable with the sides. . .

if we were doing it again. . .we would have one Steak,

and two Steamtables with the sides. . .it was way more food

than you could eat in one sitting. . .the steaks were huge

and cooked to a perfect medium. .

we always forget how much we enjoy musicals,

so each time we attend one, we say, oh. . .we need to do that more often.

I’m not going to show you a bunch of pics of the musical here,

just because I don’t think it translates well. . .

it’s just one of those things you must experience in real life!

but I did want to show you something that tickled us. . .

the boys holsters are the microphone holders. . .

isn’t that cute?

and I must show you one of our very favorite things. . .

at the beginning of each performance. . .

one of the trail riders (see album)

drive two bull elk to the ridgeline behind the stage. . .

isn’t he just magnificent?

Medora Musical

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The Landscapes of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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Short Hikes in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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Wildlife - Theodore Roosevelt National Park

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LiveJournal Tags: North Dakota,Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Theodore Roosevelt National Park,Medora Musical,Pitchfork Steak Fondue,Red Trail Campground

We Must Have Lost Our Mind

2014-08-16T11:49:00.000-05:00

to think that we could stock up on supplies

on a Saturday. . .

in the rain. . .oh my word. Sheer craziness. . .

we had a good plan. . .in theory.

Left Jamestown about 8:30A. . .short 1 1/2 hours to the RV Park in Bismarck. . .

rains weren’t predicted to start til around noon. . .
and last about an hour. . .so all would be well.

Yeah. . .they started about 30 minutes into our drive,

and continued the entire way. . .not bad. ..just dark, gloomy, and drizzly. . .

Hillcrest Acres RV Park is fine. . .

nice long pull through spots. . .30A FHU. ..$30 no discounts

a combination Mobile Home/RV Park. . .but very clean,

very well organized. . .and very, very full. . .

also, easily accessed, and convenient to what we wanted to see. . .

The North Dakota State Capitol Building in Bismarck. . .

they call it the “Skyscraper on the Prairie”

isn’t it sad? We were just so disappointed. . .

now, I must tell you I borrowed the two pics you see above

from the State Capitol Website. . .because. . .

there was a concert on the Capitol Mall out front

along with all these vendors. . .so my pics are as sad as the Capitol Building. . .

we didn’t get a pic of us in front of it. . .it was raining. . .the wind was blowing. . .boo hoo!

so there ya go. . .but hey. . .we’ve seen it. . .so I can check it off. . .

Now. . .on to the stocking up in preparation for our 5 day stay in Medora. . .

where we’ve been told there are no big stores. . .

you know what that means. . .tourist prices,

unless you want to drive 45 minutes to Dickinson. . .

wow. . .we remember all over again WHY we HIBERNATE on the weekends. . .

yikes. . .I still have no chicken. . .no hamburger meat. . .NO RICE. . .

very few veggies. . .NO peppers. . .

is it even possible to cook without peppers?

it was just TOO crazy. . .

Instead. . .we have NOW planned a supply stop in Dickinson ND

with the Motor Home. . .yippee. . .we’ll see. . .

if it’s too difficult to access. . .or too crowded. . .

we will just make the drive back later in the day in the Jeep.

Craziness. . .we don’t have too many crazy days. . .

but this one certainly qualifies as one of them. . .

See you next time in Medora. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

World’s Largest Buffalo. . .I guess this is Buffalo Week

2014-08-15T11:45:00.000-05:00

Leaving Minnesota this morning,

we had decided that Jamestown ND

would be a good destination for an overnight stay. . .

it met all the criteria. ..about 3 1/2 hours on the road. . .

leaving time to see a couple of interesting things in the afternoon. . .

this beautiful field of sunflowers brightened our day. . .

first time we’ve ever crossed the North Dakota State Line. . .

by noon we were all set up at Frontier Fort RV Park. . .
I was reminded by Judy, when I told her where we had reservations,

that Sherry and David had a horrible experience here. . .

so we were somewhat concerned. . .

but like Sherry said. . .the reviews weren’t that bad,

and another couple we had met said they had a nice long

pull through with great 50 amp service. . .so here we are to give it a try. . .

here’s the deal as best we can tell. . .

do NOT stay in the BACK IN 30 amp spots. . .

you can see more graphic pics by checking out Sherry’s Blog

pay the extra fee for the 50A pull through spots, which seem to be fine. . .

$27 Passport America Rate. . .

it will work for just this one night. . .

There are three things we would like to see since we are here. . .

Louis L’Amour was born in Jamestown ND,

and lived here as Louis LaMoore until he was 15.

He later changed the spelling of his name

when his writing career began to take off. . .

Dave has read every book he has ever written. . .

I knew the World’s Largest Buffalo was going to qualify

as one of those weird Roadside Attractions. . .

yep. . .I was right. . .

right up there with Paul Bunyan and Babe. . .fun stuff!

and then the Albino Buffalo, but this was the best photo we were able to get. . .

and this is from the freeway.

The buffalo were not visible from the museum area,

but we knew we had seen them from I-94 as we were coming into town. . .

so we drove back around there to get these sad pics. . .

Sherry’s pics of him? are much, much better. . .

so I hope you’ll check it out. . .

She and David must have been at Frontier Town on a Saturday. ..

‘cause none of the stuff she shows on her blog was going on

when we were there today. . .and we leave in the morning. . .

but I did get this one great pic of Dave funnin’ around. . .

he’s such a clown. . .

After Frontier town, a teeny little grocery run

was an absolute necessity. . .

we were totally out of bread, eggs, and sugar. . .

We’ll see you in Bismarck next time for our tour of the
North Dakota State Capitol. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,North Dakota,Jamestown ND,Frontier Town,World's Largest Buffalo,Albino Buffalo,White Buffalo

Well. . .That was a Shocker. . .

2014-08-14T11:33:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, we decided to drive over to

Tamarac NWR, and do the Blackbird Wildlife Trail,

which is a self guided driving tour. . .

imagine our surprise as we came around a curve,

and discovered a Buffalo Traffic Jam. . .

really? In Minnesota? we had no idea. . .

come to find out. . .a herd had gotten loose

from the local Buffalo Ranch,

and had been wandering the refuge for about a week. . .

for more info, more pics, and the unfolding story

check out Judy’s Blog. . .Travels With Emma. . .

There’s a good possibility the buffalo will come to a sad end

if they are not corralled soon. . .

on to the refuge we go where it is our great privilege to see

these Trumpeter Swans with their signet. . .

I love the way my photo looks. . .almost like a watercolor painting

from needing to zoom in from such a long way. . .

we loved the observation platform at Blackbird Lake,

and spent quite a long time there just observing stuff. . .

but nothing exciting enough to show you. . .LOL!

We’ve arrived too late for the Spring Wildlife. . .

and too early for the Fall Wildlife. . .such is our planning

what can I say?

So, that was about it for our exciting Wednesday. . .

Today, Thursday, we drove back over to Tamarac,

for our “official” guided tour with fellow RV’er,

Blogger, and amazing volunteer. . .Judy.

Since we were the only ones who showed up,

we felt very special to have Judy’s undivided attention. . .

wish I had thought to get a pic of Dave opening and closing gates. . .

since, on the guided tour, you get to go to places not open to the public. . .

These are the things we saw. . .as I said. . .it’s high summer. . .

an Osprey nest. . .last week they were still there. . .this week. . .soronora. . .goodbye!

the “teenagers” Trumpeter Swan group hanging out on Flathead Lake. . .

Judy explained that they don’t begin producing young until they are about three years old. . .

this is where they hang out together until they get “lucky” (my words. . .not Judy’s. . .LOL!)

this was a Chippewa Burial Ground up on a knoll. . .

the Spirit Houses, though collapsed,

are still totally visible. . .

the small triangle is where the spirit of the beloved escaped. . .

a garter snake needed to get across the road. . .

my very favorite thing of the day. . .

this beautiful Monarch Butterfly. . .isn’t it divine?

loved the black capped chickadees that visited

just outside the window of the motorhome. . .

We invited Judy and her Co-Volunteers, Bridget and John

over for fajitas in the afternoon. . .

After we ate and visited, and they were getting ready to leave. . .

we remembered. . .oh. . .pictures. . .so. . .there ya go. . .

What a wonderful, wonderful day for the memory bank. . .

Thanks Judy!

We head out in the morning. . .

See ya next time in North Dakota. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

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LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge,Minnesota

Itasca State Park and the Headwaters of the Mississippi. . .you gotta see it!

2014-08-11T11:25:00.000-05:00

we waited out the weekend. . .thinking Monday would be a much smarter day to

view the Headwaters of the Mississippi. . .hmmm. . .

and although we did not enjoy the boat tour at the Soo Locks. . .

we do love being out on the water,

and decided the Boat Tour of Lake Itasca would be just the thing. . .

I must say. . .very well done!

first thing we see. . .the Common Loon. . .Minnesota’s State Bird,

and the one thing I really, really wanted to see while we were here. . .check!

now tour guides sometimes amuse me. . .

and this was one of those times.

As we pass the Old Growth Forest portion of the park

called Preacher’s Grove. . .the guide told us that is was called that

because a group of Preachers gathered for a

. . .Religious Conference. . .

I almost laughed out loud. . .and told Dave. . .

I’m pretty sure back in those days they called it a

. . .Revival Meetin’. . .or a good ole’ Brush Arbor Meetin’

nuttin’ fancy like a religious conference. . .

ah well. . .tickled my funny bone. . .

I was completely intrigued by the wild rice growing all along the shore of Lake Itasca. . .

evidently, it is very common and grows all over the Great Lakes Area. . .

and was a huge trading commodity for Indian Tribes in the area. . .

causing many battles over wild rice. territory. . .

More images of Wild Rice and Wild Rice Harvesting

Foraging for wild food intrigues me. . .not enough to do it of course,

(well, other than blackberries). . .but it does intrigue me. . .

I bought this bag of rice in the gift shop,

although I quickly discovered I could have gotten it much, much cheaper at the Farmer’s Market.
Oh well. . .it contributes to the State Park coffers. . .so all is well,

and I am sure we will enjoy a couple of wild rice pilafs in the near future.

we also loved seeing “The Bog”. . .

the little short trees that look like Christmas Trees

are actually Tamarack Trees which are approximately 80 years old. . .

their growth is stunted due to their proximity to the bog. . .interesting!

(I’d love to load the link to a fact sheet about it. . .

but slow internet. . .not happening. . .maybe later)

lots of kayakers on the lake. . .loved this wooden one.

bet that suckers heavy though. . .

the kayakers needed to paddle through the wild rice. . .

I think the little dog on the front must have seen something interesting,

because he dove in. . .and needed to be fetched out. . .

it all happened really quick. . .too funny!

here was our view of the headwaters from the lake side. . .

the kayakers could paddle in this far, and then needed to portage. . .

this was our view of the Headwaters once we finished our boat tour,

DROVE around to the Visitor Center. . .

and hiked an awful long way. . .just kiddin’

watched these kiddos “wading across the Mississippi.”

Won’t that be a fun story to tell when school starts. . .loved it!

I got the biggest kick out of watching all these folks

crossing the Mississippi on these rocks. . .

I’m too clumsy to attempt it myself. . .

and after Dave’s fall on the rocks at Schoodic Peninsula. . .

well. . .yeah. . .ain’t happening. . .

but doesn’t this look fun?
Just past the kids swimming, you can see the path

the kayakers were taking through the wild rice

to reach this point from the lake. . .

What a fun day we had at Itasca State Park. . .

but if you really want to know all about the park

and all the things to do there. . .

plus they got some really great shots of the
Headwaters without all the folks. . .

I really, really must direct you to

Sherry and David’s Blog

In the Direction of Our Dreams

they actually stayed at one of the campgrounds in the park,

and checked out the park from every angle. . .enjoy!

See you next time at Tamarac NWR. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

OH. . .P.S. . .

I almost forgot to tell you. . .

after Itasca SP, we drove the Great River Road

over to Bemidji to see Paul Bunyan and Babe. . .

I mean really. . .can you even come to Minnesota,

and not go to see Paul Bunyan. . .come on!

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Lake Itasca,Itasca State Park,Minnesota,Headwaters of the Mississippi,Great River Road,Paul Bunyan,Bemidji MN

We Landed in a Pretty Place in Minnesota. . .we needed this!

2014-08-10T11:22:00.000-05:00

after four straight days in Downtown Chicago,

and then a couple of days in the Minneapolis/St Paul Metroplex. . .

we are thrilled to have landed at Rainbow Resort. . .

on lovely Little Bemidji Lake. . .isn’t this pretty?

Don’t you feel relaxed just looking at it?

there are 8 FHU RV Sites. . .ours and one other is 50 amp. . .

not right on the Lake, but we can see it through the trees. . .

or we can just walk up to the store/office in less than a minute. . .

and enjoy the view from the bench on the back porch. . .

we have just been laying low. . .

enjoying the peace and quiet, since we arrived on Friday. . .

Later in the week, maybe tomorrow,

we will check out the Headwaters of the Mississippi. ..

and we will also check out Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge. . .

where Judy, of Travels With Emma fame, volunteers. . .

we look forward to making her acquaintance. . .

See you next time at the Headwaters. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge,Minnesota,Little Bemidji Lake

Travel Days–from Iowa to Minnesota

2014-08-05T16:31:00.001-05:00

Leaving Pikes Peak State Park,

discovered by the same Zebulon Pike who discovered

Pike’s Peak in Colorado

In 1673, the first white men to see what is now Iowa, explorer Louis Joliet and Father James Marquette, reached the mouth of the Wisconsin River and beheld the great, unknown river now known as the Mississippi. After the Louisiana Purchase, the government sent Zebulon Pike in 1805 to explore the Mississippi valley and select locations suitable for military posts. Pike recognized the park site as an important, strategic point, and an excellent location for a fort. The government agreed on the vicinity but selected the prairie around Prairie du Chien (now Wisconsin) for the fort. Several years later, Pike was again sent westward by the government and named Pikes Peak in Colorado.

yesterday morning, we traveled the “Great River Road”

for about 46 miles. . .almost to the Minnesota Border.

Now, the idea of traveling the Great River Road

has fascinated me ever since I saw

Alton Brown’s, Feasting on Asphalt, Season 2 Journey

from Louisiana, north along the river. . .

I’m sure traveling it on a motorcycle is much different than

traveling it in a motorhome. . .see that right hand side of the road

just past the shoulder, where the grass is growing?

That drops off about four feet. . .yikes!

but. . .it’s kinda fun to say we’ve been on it. . .

and I would be interested in exploring it further in the Jeep. . .

I mentioned in our last post that Eastern Iowa has been a surprise. . .

it’s difficult to depict the beauty through the windshield. . .

but there’s been something lovely around each curve. . .

even some 7 and 8% grades. . .we had no idea!

When we drove across Southern Iowa in 2010 all we saw was prairie. . .

I guess we were expecting more of the same this trip. . .what a nice surprise!

here’s the only really bad road construction we encountered

for the whole three hour trip. . .

this itty bitty, skinny, teeny, weeny little path. . .

I was just sure we were going to scrape the side any second. . .EEK!

and then on into Minnesota. . .

NO State Line sign. . .

we would not have known we crossed the border

had our Rand McNally GPS not stated it. . .? ? ?

and a lovely overnight stop at Tilley’s American Traveler RV Resort. . .

Rochester Minnesota. . .right off the highway. . .

lovely long level pull through sites. . .

and then up and rolling again this morning for a very nice 1 1/2 hour

drive to Lebanon Hills Campground in the Minneapolis/St Paul area

where will explore the Minnesota State Capitol

and the Mall of America. . .

see you there,

Janice and Dave

Eastern IOWA is a Surprise

2014-08-03T21:47:00.001-05:00

I have a lot of pictures to sort through and label

before I will be able to post about our time in Chicago,

so I thought. . .

well, I don’t want to get behind on blog postings,

so I will skip ahead to our next stop,

and catch you up on all our goings on

in Chicago when I get it all organized. . .

Friday morning Jordan got all packed up. . .

and we headed off on our 45 mile trek (2 hours in traffic. . .ugh) to the airport,

where we went as far as we could with him (security) and left him

about twenty minutes before his assigned boarding time of 12:30. . .

all is well (we had no idea there had been massive flooding in Houston)

the Houston Chronicle called it rain of Biblical Proportions,

4 to 5 inches in an hour, with parking garages downtown

looking like swamp areas. . .

so, when we got the first notice that his flight had been delayed 45 minutes. . .

it was like, okay, no big deal. . .then the 2nd and then 3rd delay. . .

but always with a departure time about 45 minutes away. ..

until about 4:15 when he called to say the flight had been cancelled.
This is his first solo flight, so he has no clue what he needs to do. . .

I tell him. . .get in line. . .see what they say. . .we are on our way!
OFF WE GO. . .45 miles (you get it!) raining and Chicago traffic yaaa. . .

when he calls back to say they’ve rescheduled him for a 9:15 flight,

and they are sure he will get on it. . .okay. . .

what do you want to do, because we are on our way to get you,

we can just get you a flight for in the morning. . .but no. . .

he wants to get home. . .his girlfriend is picking him up,

and he needs to be at work Saturday night. . .so okay,

we turn around. . .go back to the motorhome. . .

on pins and needles until he lets us know he’s on the plane. . .

and then another text at 1:15 AM (13 hours after we left him at the airport)

to say he has arrived in Houston. . .thank the Lord!

I know he’s a full grown 19 years old. . .but oh my goodness. . .

he will always be my baby. . .my only grandson. . .

whom I really, really needed to rescue.

I surely hope he has any good memories left of his time in Chicago. . .

wow. . .what a day!

hopefully the horrible flight memories will fade,

and he’ll reminder the fun Gangster Tour

the “Bean” Cloudscape Sculpture

our wonderful Chicago Style Pizza. . .

and a fabulous time at Wrigley Field. . .all good stuff. . .lots more stories to follow later. . .

Anyway. . .knowing our boy was safely home in Houston. . .

Saturday morning we headed out to our next destination. ..

Pike’s Peak State Park in Iowa, north of Dubuque,

500 feet above the Mississippi River,

right where the Wisconsin River empties into it,

and about 4 hours from Chicago. . .

what a lovely place to spend a couple of days and RECUPERATE. . .

we are exhausted. . .we pull in. . .hook up the electric. . .

go back in the motor home. . .(I’ve read stories about those kinds of campers)

do nothing for about four hours. . .

go to bed at 7:30 and stay there for twelve hours. . .LOL!

as is usual for Sunday in a State Park. . .by noon eveyone’s packed up,

and we practically have the place to ourselves. . .

time for a little hike. . .

we can’t see the river from our campsite. . .

but it’s only 2/10 of a mile to the overlook. . .

from which we can see the State of Wisconsin

and the mouth of the Wisconsin River where it flows into the Mississippi. . .

the same river we took our Wisconsin Dells Boat Tour on last month. . .

small world right here. . .

saw some wildlife. . .

got us an ice cream bar at the park store

as our reward for taking a hike. . .ha ha!

Watched the hummingbirds at the feeder. . .

and was serenaded by the beautiful Mountain Bluebird. . .

I’m feeling better already!

See you next time,

Janice and Dave

The Grand has Landed. . .in Chicago

2014-07-30T09:10:00.001-05:00

We picked Jordan up at the airport yesterday. . .

Chicago Midway. . .which, by the way

is THE most organized airport I have ever been in. . .wow!

We parked in the garage, literally steps from the baggage claim. . .

Jordan’s flight from Houston landed a few minutes early,

he’s 19, so was able to get himself to the baggage claim area. . .

I was all set with the camera, but he sneaked in so quick I missed my shot. . .

so. . .I made him pose when got to Navy Pier. . .

it was really bright. . .he’s squinting a bit. . .

but I don’t care. . .I’m so excited to see him. . .

We just did the double decker

Chicago Trolley Tour yesterday. . .

on our way Downtown Chicago in a few minutes. . .

lots to see and do today. . .

’til next time,

Janice and Dave

CHICAGO. . .finally

2014-07-21T15:05:00.000-05:00

Next Tuesday, the #1 Grand, our first born, and only grandson,

will arrive via Southwest Airlines. . .

We promised the grands when we started traveling,

that we would fly them out to meet us. . .

so Jordan’s finally taking us up on it. . .

we decided we should make a dry run to check things out

but first. . .some lunch.

When someone makes a great recommendation, I make a note of it in my Travel Spreadsheet. . .

then when we arrive in an area. . .I have all these great places to check out. . .

so when Judy mentioned in a comment to Marsha and Paul

to check out Frank’ Pizzeria on Chicago’s Northwest side,

I decided that would be a great place to have our first taste of Chicago Pizza. . .

EXCEPT. . .

evidently, they are CLOSED ON MONDAYS. . .hello. . .

all righty then. . .nothing to be done about that. . .

so. . .on to the next thing, Wrigley Field. . .

which took us through this great little Northwest Chicago neighborhood.

All these cute little houses, lined up side by side,

with yards as neat as a pin. . .really lovely. . .

and the copper clad windows on this condo unit were so great. . .

We just wanted to check out where Wrigley Field was located. . .

we have tickets for a game next Thursday. . .

so I know we will get some great pics then. . .

so we just parked at McDonald’s across the street, and got a couple of quick shots.

and on we go. . .here’s the EL. . .

we really thought we would be taking this in,

but, we are so far out, it would cost almost $60 per day roundtrip

for the three of us to ride. . .so, it’s way less expensive to just

bring the car in, and pay $21 parking. . .

Dave hasn’t found driving in Chicago to be any worse

than driving in Houston. . .so there ya go.

Of course, we’ll try to avoid rush hour times. . .
I’ll let you know how it all goes. . .

Finally. . .what we’ve been waiting for. . .
the Downtown Chicago Skyline. . .

as seen from Navy Pier

I’m sure I’ll know what some of the buildings are

after we take the Architectural Boat Tour next week. . .

We checked out Navy Pier, and had lunch. . .

but decided to save all the sightseeing and tours

for when Jordan arrives next week. . .

So, that was it. . .our first day in Chicago. . .

exciting huh?

There’ll be much more to share next week,

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Belvidere Illinois–almost to Chicago. . .almost

2014-07-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

We moved the coach from Madison Wisconsin to

Pine Country (Outdoor World) in Belvidere Illinois

which is still 65 miles from Chicago. . .guess why?

because it’s part of our Thousand Trails “Membership” package

so there’s no charge for us to be here. . .yaaa!

After some of the prices we’ve paid to stay up here in

the Great Lakes Area. . .”free” is good for the budget.

Boy, am I ever glad it’s free. . .’cause it’s only 30A service,

and it has gotten hot. . .up into the 90’s. . .

Now, that would normally not be a problem . . .right?

We can still run one A/C. . .and just maneuver appliances and such. . .

trust me. . .over 12 years of full timing. . .we’ve figured out the 30A misery. . .

The problem happens about 2 o’clock every afternoon. . .

the sun is beating down on the MAIN Breaker Supply. . .

those breakers heat up. . .and TRIP!

So. . .no one in our row is tripping their individual breakers at their pole. . .

but we have to wait for the tech to come over. . .unlock the main breaker box,

and get us all up and going again. . .yaaa. . .NOT FUN!

okay. . .enough whining. . .on to the fun stuff. . .

Next week, our #1 Grandson (he’s the only boy) will be here. . .

so. . .before he gets here, we’re going to move the coach over to the KOA

where we will have FHU and 50 AMP service. . .yes! Also about 20 miles closer to the city. . .

Belvidere’s claim to fame is that it is the City of Murals. . .

you know I love my murals. . .and since we weren’t fixing to go into Chicago

on the weekend, we decided we would go check them out. . .

I’ll just show you this really great one. . .and include the rest in my album.

As we were walking about snapping pics, one the shopkeepers came out

to see what we were finding so interesting. . .it really is a pretty little town. . .

obviously an important place, at some time in history. . .

so we chatted with her a bit about the town and her business,

and told her exploring little towns is a great way to get a nice walk in. . .

we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I know this has not been all that exciting. . .

but I wanted to chronicle Belvidere for our journal. . .

Next time. . .Chicago. . .I promise!

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Belvidere Illinois - Summer Trip 2014

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LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Illinois,Belvidere IL,Thousand Trails Membership,Pine Country RV Park,Outdoor World

Madison Wisconsin–The State Capitol

2014-07-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

We had a very easy drive of less than two hours

from Wisconsin Dells to the Wisconsin State Capitol of Madison. . .

but first, we need to do a little motor home maintenance.

may as well stop postponing this little chore. . .

Dave discovered that we were passing right by Camping World

on our way to the RV park in Madison. . .

and since the “house batteries” we needed to replace

we the same price there as other places he had checked,

may as well stop by and let them take care of it. . .

and while they did that

we may as well go tour the State House. . .right. . .

as we approached we could tell. . .

that it was going to be just lovely. . .

and it was. . .

just spectacular!

sometimes you gotta take the tour. . .

or you won’t know about the Starfish Fossil located on the Northern Interior Stair Case. . .

or the trumpeter’s balcony located on Level 4. . .

where all the musicians reigned,

while the singers performed from Level 2. . .

now. . .isn’t that interesting?

and although we had been told by a blog reader (the best folks ever)

we may not have found out about taking the elevator to the 4th floor,

and climbing 46 more steps, and 11 spiral staircase steps

to the outside observation deck. . .SCORE!

loved it!

loved Downtown Madison so much. . .

we went back on Saturday for the Art Fair and the Farmer’s Market. . .

here’s my favorite skyline view. ..

isn’t it just a beautiful little city?

and to top it off. . .our electric only campsite located at

Lake Farm Campground

was located next door to Lussier Family Heritage Center,

a sort of nature center, with all sorts of walking, hiking, biking, skiing trails. . .

and best of all. . .

I was able to pick blackberries. . .

enough to make us a wee little blackberry cobbler. . .perfection!

See you next time in CHICAGO. . .EEK!

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Madison Wisconsin - State Capitol

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LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Madison WI,Wisconsin,State Capitol

Wisconsin Dells. . .well, well, well

2014-07-09T20:06:00.000-05:00

As I write this I’m laughing to myself about a blog reader saying

she was tickled that I dismissed Fish Creek as a tourist town. . .

and in the next sentence said we were headed to the Wisconsin Dells. . .

which is the epitome of a tourist town. . .LOL!

OH BOY. . .was she ever right!

add to that. . .for some reason our GPS misdirected us. . .

I'm thinking INPUT ERROR. . .LOL. . .for which. . .

thankfully I am NOT responsible. . .

so we took the coach right down through “the STRIP”. . .(twice)

‘cause once we could finally turn around. . .guess what. . .

our campground was on the totally opposite end of town. . .of course!
yeah. . .this pic doesn’t do the craziness justice. . .

there were people and cars EVERYWHERE. . .yikes!

but we are in the Dells for one reason. . .

and that is strictly to do the Upper Dell’s Boat Tour

as described by our RV friends Margery and Paul

in their Blog – Living Our Dream

the sandstone formations are just as described. . .

and are really something you must see for yourself

as pictures just do not do them justice.

as you can imagine, during summer tourist season,

the boat was almost full, so we were seated on the very back deck. . .

by the time a formation was described,

we were sometimes not at the right angle to get a good shot. . .

but these two turned out. . .

Chief Blackhawk’s Profile and Alligators Head

the boat makes two stops. . .we loved the first one, Witch’s Gulch. . .

where we could walk down through a rock canyon. . .to a. . .

wait for it. . .

concession stand. . .

trust me. . .by that time we were happy to see a concession stand

and some restrooms. . .LOL!

Dave had something wrong on his camera settings. . .

all our pics are really, really dark.

I truly hope you’ll go check out the Living Our Dream Blog

they did get some great pics of Witch’s Gulch

Oh. . .and if you don’t want to do the entire boat tour,

you can drive down, and see JUST Witch’s Gulch for $5 pp. . .

but you’ll miss a lot if you do that,

so we really recommend the tour. . .

my favorite thing of the day was the stop at Stand Rock. . .

and watching the German Shepherd jump this five foot chasm. . .

there’s an entire story of how this came to be,

which you can read here if you would like. . .

suffice it to say that because Photographer H.H. Bennett

was able to capture this stop action photo of his

fourteen year old son leaping to Stand Rock,

you are now able to enjoy the cameras we have today.

We enjoyed a couple of meals out at the Dells. . .burgers one day. . .

and Cajun Food the next, to the tune of $70 for both meals, with tips. . .

ouch, ouch, ouch. . .see. . .there’s a reason we don’t eat out often. . .wow!

We did enjoy the Dells. . .especially the Wisconsin River,

and we are glad we made it there. . .hmmm. . .

not sure if we’ll ever need to return. . .but it really was great!

See you next time at the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Wisconsin Dells

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LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Wisconsin,Wisconsin Dells WI,Dells Boat Tour

Cana Island Lighthouse–Peninsula State Park–Fish Creek Wisconsin–all in one day

2014-06-30T18:44:00.001-05:00

but first, breakfast at the lovely Harbor Fish Market and Grill. . .

doesn’t sound very exciting for breakfast, does it?

but it was great. . .and the outside seating was wonderful. . .

on to the Cana Island Lighthouse,

which is touted as the most scenic lighthouse

in Door County. . .we thought it was very pretty. . .

the walkways, and paths, and beaches were fun to explore. . .

with views of the lighthouse available from all angles. . .

we chose to not climb to the top of the lighthouse

(an additional $4 to the $6 pp we paid to access the island)

as we knew we would be climbing the tower

at Peninsula State Park later in the day. . .

see more of our Cana Island experiences here. . .

Cana Island Lighthouse - Bailey's Harbor Wisconsin

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next up.. .the Eagle Tower – Peninsula State Park

75 feet tall and 250 feet above the bay. . .nice!

We have really enjoyed the Fire Towers located around the peninsula. . .

a nice view from the top

way out on the horizon past Horseshoe Island,

is the shoreline of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. . .

only one short month ago, we were traveling along Hwy 2 looking out over Lake Michigan and then Green Bay toward Wisconsin. . .

On the way back down the tower, I discovered I’m not the only one with a fear of heights. . .that tower starts to sway a little as you go up, and several folks were grabbling for the handrail, saying. . .I think this is as far as I’m gonna make it. . .

I tried to encourage one guy with the same mantra I tell myself. . .hundreds of people climb this thing everyday, everything will be fine. . .it will be worth it. . .he was NOT buying my pep talk. . .LOL!

okay. . .on to the last lighthouse on this leg of our trip. . .

the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. . .built in 1868. . .

had I done my homework a little better,

we may have been able to see the

Chambers Island Lighthouse,

had we climbed the tower here. . .

and also. . .for you awesome hikers,

the cliffs below this lighthouse are accessible by hiking down (I forget the terminology used) but it was very clear that it was a very steep descent down to the water. . .I really, really wanted to do it, just to see the caves in the rock face. . .but alas. . .I came to my senses, and realized a steep descent, also meant a steep ascent. . .ummmm. . .yeah. . .not happening. . .

Peninsula State Park - Fish Creek Wisconsin

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so. . .onward to our last stop of the day. . .

Fish Creek Wisconsin. . .

we’ve heard so much ooooing and ahhing over it. . .

we were just sure it must be spectacular. . .

eh. . .

it’s a tourist town. . .

lots and lots of tourist boutiques and touristy tourist shops. . .

sorry. . .so sorry. . .just doesn’t excite me. . .

we did not take a single picture. . .not a one.

That’s a shame isn’t it?

but. . .if you want to see some pics of the town. . .click here

Except for some of the hiking and exploring we would like to have done, had the weather been better, and the mosquitoes been fewer, and the fact that we missed seeing the Pottawatomie Lighthouse located over on Rock Island, we feel as though we have had a grand adventure in Door County Wisconsin, and would highly recommend it for a visit. . .maybe not a month long visit. . .

but you should at least give it a good two weeks. . .

My one piece of advice might be to stay further north on the Peninsula. . .where everything would be more easily accessible. . .

We saw some large rigs in the campground at Peninsula State Park. . .so that might be a great staging area. . .

I hope you visit, and enjoy the “Thumb of Wisconsin” as much as we have. . .

We leave here on Tuesday. . .and really have NOTHING scheduled or planned for the next ten days. . .

just hunker down, and lay low until the Fourth of July is done. . .and then on to the Wisconsin Dells. . .

we’ll see you there,

“til then,

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Door County WI,Fish Creek Wisconsin,Peninsula State Park,Cana Island Lighthouse,Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

Wequiock Falls–Green Bay Wisconsin

2014-06-21T15:46:00.000-05:00

ahhhh. . .we were supposed to meet you next in Fish Creek. . .

but. . .it rained. . .and now it’s the weekend. . .

do you know how a popular tourist town is on the weekend?

cra-zeeeee. . .

so with no plans, and the larder running a little low. . .

we decided to make a trek to Green Bay. . .’bout half an hour away. . .

In my research of the area, I had seen this waterfall located at

Wequiock Falls County Park. . .

seemed like an easy little trek on our way to the store. . .

in my reading it seemed as though there was a little hike

to get to the waterfall. . .

NOT SO. . .

the park is right off Wisconsin 57. . .

and the waterfall is right across the little footbridge. . .

it’s falling right over a natural limestone ledge

again, part of the Niagara Escarpment. . .so cool. . .

on it’s way to Green Bay. . .

the browns you see in the water are the natural tannins

present in many of the creeks and rivers of this area. . .

what a lovely little respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. . .nice!

Got the shopping done. . .had a great Mexican Food lunch. . .YUM!

next time we really will see you at Fish Creek. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Washington Island Wisconsin

2014-06-19T12:33:00.000-05:00

Our intention when we headed out to Washington Island,

located at the farthest point north on the Door County Peninsula

was to take the vehicle ferry ($53 for the jeep and two passengers) over to the island

and then take an additional passenger ferry ($11 each) over to Rock Island State Park,

and hike one mile to the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. . .(more pics)

before I continue with that story,

I must show you how we got parked on the ferry. . .

it was so full that they backed us into this last available corner.

It would have been an hour wait for the next ferry,

so we were happy to be aboard. . .

not to seem blasé’, but we use the ferry system in Texas (which is free)

quite often, as a matter of fact. . .our very first date, 40 years ago,

was to go with friends to ride the Bolivar Ferry in Galveston,

so we were fine with the entire situation. . .

(the deck hands asked if we had ever driven onto a ferry before)

as an aside. . .this is the trolley tour you can take, if you are not inclined to bring your vehicle over. . .

back to the story. . .in our usual fashion (being horrible tourists)

we got a later start than intended. . .and discovering that the last ferry BACK

to the mainland was at 4:30. . . we needed to make a decision. . .

(the later ferry runs will start in July)

if we went to the State Park, and hiked to the lighthouse,

we would have NO time to explore Washington Island. . .hmmmm. . .

so we chose to forego the lighthouse, and simply explore the island. . .

here’s what we discovered. . .

first stop. . .The Mountain Tower

a lovely little hike up the stairway to heaven,

and then another few steps to the top. . .

for a fairly great view of Rock Island (you can just see the tower of the current lighthouse)

and the Wisconsin Mainland across Green Bay. . .lots of marine haze though. . .

a very nice Minister/Schoolteacher couple offered to take this pic. . .

they were from Green Bay, and taking a quick summer break. . .

we just meet the nicest folks out and about everywhere we go. . .

as we are driving along, we see this group of Sand Hill Cranes. . .

I’m telling Dave. . .stop, I need to take a pic. . .I’m not sure what they are, but I know they are special. . .LOL!

I later contacted Jeannie (Sparky) from Where’s Eldo, as I was sure I remembered seeing them on her blog. . .

she verified that they were indeed Sand Hill Cranes. . .I guess they like cooler summer weather too.

on to the next item on our brochure. . .Schoolhouse Beach. . .

a lovely place to enjoy our tuna salad and crackers. . .

an entire beach of beautiful polished limestone rocks. . .

I told Dave after taking this pic of dry rocks and wet rocks. . .

“I am intrigued by the weirdest things”. . .I think they are just beautiful,

back when my grandson and I used to do paintings on rocks,

I could certainly have used some of these beauties. . .

another beautiful view of Washington Harbor with Schoolhouse Beach on the far right end. . .

the lilacs in the foreground smelled wonderful. . .

it was growing wild all over the island. . .

we drove around searching out every vantage point to see Rock Island. . .

just sure we could at least get a glimpse of the Pottawatomie Lighthouse. . .

but this was the best we were able to do. . .just a glimpse of the tower. . . and the cliffs. . .

my favorite thing on the island. . .the Stavkirke. . .

a replica of a Norwegian House of Worship. . .

and although not historical in the sense of time,

still a very interesting architectural structure. . .

and that was about it for Washington Island. . .

in retrospect, we should have planned better,

and included Rock Island in our itinerary for the day. . .

but overall. . .it was fun day. . .spent together. . .exploring!

and we got to ride the ferry back to the mainland facing forward. . .yaaa!

a quick stop at Bailey’s Harbor on the way home to get a pic of the

mural depicting the history of the village. . .

and by walking out to the end of the dock behind the building,

a lovely view of the Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouse. . .

see you next time at Fish Creek. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

another great blog about the Bailey’s Harbor Mural

Nomadic Newfies

Washington Island Wisconsin

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Bailey's Harbor Wisconsin

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Info about Rock Island State Park and the Pottawatomie Lighthouse

http://wisconsinhistoricalmarkers.blogspot.com/2013/06/pottawatomie-light-station.html

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Washington Island,Wisconsin,Rock Island,Pottawatomie Lighthouse,Rock Island State Park,Bailey's Harbor Mural,Bailey's Harbor Lighthouse

Goats on the Roof. . .really?–Sister BayWisconsin

2014-06-19T09:19:00.000-05:00

well I never. . .I mean. . .really?

when Ann, whom I’ve made friends with from RVillage told us to be sure and see the goats on the roof at Sister Bay, I was just absolutely sure she must be joking. . .really!

But no. . .it’s true. . .

at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant right on Main St there are really goats on the roof. . .and all us tourists are standing on the sidewalk, cameras in hand, taking pics of goats on the roof. . .

What a fabulous marketing ploy. . .’cause guess what? After we stopped to see the goats on the roof, we went inside to try the Swedish Meatballs. . .

LOVED IT!

Does it get much funnier than this?

There’s even a GOAT CAM. . .so you can see the action live. . .

The goats report for duty at 9AM and are returned to the farm at 6PM. . .and yes. . .sometimes the goats fall off the roof. . .I read lots of stories about the whole process. . .’cause as you know. . .I’m fascinated by everything. . .and always want to know the WHYS. . .

more great web images of goats on the roof

you really, really gotta go see this one!

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Sister Bay,Wisconsin

Egg Harbor Wisconsin’s - Eggstravaganza

2014-06-17T11:12:00.000-05:00

The Egg Harbor Marina is just beautiful. . .

and the park above the marine. . .a lovely place. . .

but, unless you are “tourist shop” shopper,

I can’t tell you that there’s a whole lot else to do in Egg Harbor Wisconsin. . .

HOWEVER. . .

the thing they did have going on for them was the

EGGSTRAVAGANZA

wow. . .what a fabulous marketing gimmick to get

folks out and about in the village. . .

we had more fun wandering around

exploring all the artist renditions of eggs,

and exploring corner’s of the village

we would never have wandered to otherwise. . .

I must give the Egg Harbor Visitor Center

high marks for this winning idea. . .

I hafta show you my very favorite one.. .the Screaming Turtle. . .what a riot!

and if you must see the other 49. . .well. . .here’s the album. . .LOL!

Eggstravaganza of Egg Harbor Wisconsin 2014

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Not only did we spend three hours exploring all

the nooks and crannies of Egg Harbor,

but we also had two meals in Egg Harbor,

not something we do very often. . .

so we shared a chicken salad with dried cherries

sandwich at MacReady Artisan Breads. . .yummy,

and then we worked up such an appetite

wandering up and down and around. . .

that we worked our way back to

Casey’s BBQ and Smokehouse

where we were welcomed by

their mascot “Chopper”. . .how cute is he?

and just in case you’re wondering how on earth

Egg Harbor got it’s name. . .

place your cursor on this pic, and enlarge it. . .

it’s an interesting tale for sure

another wonderful day in Door County. . .

We’ll see you next time at Sister Bay. . .

‘til then

Janice and Dave

More fabulous Blog Posts About Egg Harbor

Nomadic Newfies

Minnesota Prairie Roots

Aeriel Views of Egg Harbor

More EGG Info – Artists Etc

the rest of the Egg Harbor pics:

Egg Harbor Wisconsin 2014

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LiveJournal Tags: Egg Harbor Wisconsin,RV Travel,Motorhome Travel,Full Time RV Living

A Father’s Day Excursion–Lakeshore Drive–Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin

2014-06-15T13:07:00.000-05:00

Knowing how busy Father’s Day weekend in

major tourist area would probably be. . .

our intention had been to stay in, and avoid all the crowds. . .

but then Dave read about a Norther coming in over Lake Michigan,

with four to seven foot swells, and small craft advisories in effect,

we decided that we could go drive Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan

as this would keep us on the south side of the ship channel,

and not up into the main tourist area. . .we didn’t see anything

nearly that large, although later, much later in the evening,

the wind pick up tremendously, and it may have gotten much more exciting. . .

still a lovely drive. . .we saw this fox,

but by the time I got the camera up, this was the only shot I could get. . .

a squadron of American White Pelicans. . .

you may recall me writing about the White Pelicans on Fort Parker Lake in Texas,

so we loved seeing them again on Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

a pretty little path to the beach. . .

only there was no beach with the surf up. . .

the North Pier Headlight. . .

and a view of the Sturgeon Bay Canal Light up over the dunes. . .

all in all. . .a lovely day, and a lovely drive. . .

and then back home to fix Dave

his favorite meal for Father’s Day. . .Steak and Potatoes!

see you next time at Egg Harbor. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Sturgeon Bay WI,Sturgeon Bay Canal Light,Lighthouses,Door County WI

RV Projects–a small Remodel

2014-06-14T09:17:00.000-05:00

our intention really was to take it easy over the weekend,

but there are always projects on the To Do List. . .

and taking down this horrible mirror

and replacing it with a spice cabinet

has moved to the top of the list. . .

No matter how many times it’s cleaned,

as soon as I cook again, it looks exactly as you can see in the this pic. . .

drives me crazeeeee. . .

duct tape is ready in the bottom right corner. . .

used it on the one panel. . .but it still allowed shards of glass to fly,

so, for the next panel, we covered it in a sheet of contact paper

from top to bottom. . .ahhh. . .much better!

That dude was taped and glued on something fierce. . .

it wasn’t going to fall off the wall. . .that’s for sure!

here’s the beginning of the spice cabinet. . .

it will be completely enclosed with a frame,

and a door as soon as we get close enough

to a big box store to get supplies. . .

no worries. . .all of this will be hidden behind a door. . .

I will now have all my daily use cooking supplies,

spices, oils, vinegars, in one place. . .

no more searching through the cabinet, trying to remember

where things are. . .yaaa!

Will post pics of the finished project in a couple of weeks. . .

‘til then. . .wanted you to see what we’ve been up to. . .

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: RV Remodel,RV Projects,RV Repairs,Spice Cabinet,RV Storage

More Lady’s Slippers at Ellison Bay Wisconsin

2014-06-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

Our plan, when we left the house on Friday

was to drive to Egg Harbor, and spend some time playing tourist. . .

and decided driving along Shoreline Drive on the Green Bay

side of the Peninsula would be a great way to get there. . .

but as we started discussing what the ladies at the

Ridges Sanctuary had told us about the Lady’s Slippers

already blooming at Ellison Bluff County Park,

and how there would be so many of them

because it’s about 10 degrees warmer on the Bay Side,

we decided perhaps we should go ahead and drive up to

Ellison Bay and check them out. . .

we certainly didn’t want to miss the show. . .

and boy. . .are we glad we did!

as you can see, the ones we found out in full sunlight were already past their prime. . .

but back in the shady areas. . .

there were plenty of fine specimens. . .

I know I should delete some of them out of my album. . .

but they are each so glorious. . .I just don’t want to!

Ellison Bluff County Park also had a lovely boardwalk out over the limestone bluffs,

which is part of the same Niagara Escarpment that we discovered in Canada last summer,

and along the Erie Canal in New York. . .all fascinating, geological stuff. . .I love it!

this view from the bluff is of the Sister’s Islands, which are a bird sanctuary and closed to the public. . .

there’s lots of driving through the woods to get to anything in Wisconsin. . .

through this opening in the woods was this cherry orchard. . .

I just had to see the cherries up close. . .

we’ve stopped at two cherry farms so far. . .

once to buy a bucket of frozen cherries for a pie. . .delicious. . .

and the second time to get some dried cherries,

because Iron Chef Michael Symon says if you

reconstitute them in boiling water. . .they are delicious. . .

we shall see!

The lady at Grandma Tommy’s said the cherry harvest

for this year is going to be very, very late,

as they still had snow on Mother’s Day. . .

We’ll be in Wisconsin through the end of July,

so we’re hoping to enjoy some of it. . .I love cherries!

We are taking the weekend off to relax, and enjoy Father’s Day. . .

we’ll see you next week in Egg Harbor. . .

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

Ellison Bluff, Ellison Bay Wisconsin and Lady's Slippers

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LiveJournal Tags: Wisconsin,Full Time RV Living,motorhome Travel,lady's Slippers,slipper Orchids,Ellison Bluff County Park,Sister's Islands,Bird Sanctuary

The Ridges Sanctuary and Nature Preserve–Bailey’s Harbor - Wisconsin

2014-06-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

My main objective for visiting the Ridges Sanctuary and Nature Preserve

was because the Yellow Lady’s Slippers were supposed to be blooming there

and I wanted to see them growing in the wild. . .

but wow. . .this place is so much more than that. . .

beautiful little trails meandering through the forest. . .

where you would come up on patches of Dwarf Lake Iris,

which only grow in the Great Lakes Area,

and are considered a threatened species. . .

how fortunate to see them at peak blooming season. . .

Dave walking out towards Lake Michigan

and the Lower Harbor Range Light. . .

standing on the Lake Michigan side looking back towards

the Upper Harbor Range Light. . .

as the ships would enter the harbor,

they would line up the two lights,

which would help guide them between the rocky outcroppings. . .

as we hiked out along the beach road. . .

we found what we had come looking for. . .

the yellow Lady’s Slipper. . .I am so in love. . .this is just beyond stunning to me!

and the ladies at the Ridges Sanctuary Store said that they are blooming

profusely at one of the County Parks on the Bay Side,

so we will be making a trip up there this next week. . .

It was worth the $5 entry fee PP to help support this organization,

and to see a few beautiful, uplifting sights. . .

including the antics of a couple of red squirrels. . .

I hope you will check it out if you are in the area. . .

‘til next time,

Janice and Dave

The Ridges Sanctuary - Bailey's Harbor Wisconsin

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LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,Motorhome Travel,Door County WI,Wisconsin,The Ridges Sanctuary,Slipper Orchids,Lady's Slippers,Bailey's Harbor Range Lights,Lighthouses

Potawatomi State Park and Tower at Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin . . .ahhh. . .the View!

2014-06-09T22:17:00.001-05:00

The Maintenance Guy here at the RV Park told Dave there was a great view of the bay

from the fire tower

located at

boy howdy. . .was he ever right. . .wow!

100 steps. . .225 feet off the ground. . .so worth it!

Sawyer Harbor to the left. . .Sturgeon Bay to the right. . .

with someone’s very private little island. . .how lovely is this?

and Green Bay straight out ahead. . .

a very enjoyable afternoon. . .

Potawatomi State Park - Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin

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We have lots and lots more to explore, so we’ll see you next time,

‘til then,

Janice and Dave

LiveJournal Tags: Full Time RV Living,RV Travel,Motorhome Travel