We're starting to prepare the trailer and checking on places to go for this first portion of our annual trip. Having completed our goal of camping in all of the lower 48 states last year, we're now fine-tuning and revisiting some of the places that we only camped in for a short time, to see the areas we've missed in the past.
If the weather holds (no snow or ice storms) we plan to leave sometime in February, and our first "long" stop will be Montgomery, AL to learn more about the Civil Rights marches, Vicksburg, MS to see the Vicksburg battleground, and after the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras we'll head to New Orleans to
spend some time. Other places in our plans include Austin, TX and various other areas of the state before heading into New Mexico. Jack was in the service and spent some training time in NM, so he'd like to go back and see more of the state.
As our plans are completed, I'll post tentative itinerary and will post pictures and comments of the various places we visit.
Please visit our blog often!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October, 2012
We arrived in Mankato at the Good Counsel motherhouse to visit until 10/17. While we were there we:
- Enjoyed yummy caramel and cinnamon rolls at the Amboy Cottage Cafe in Amboy, MN.
- Celebrated Jean's 50th high school reunion at Loyola with 29 of her classmates. The class has definitely spread out! - Rapid City, SD, Arizona, San Diego, CA, Raleigh (us) and locations all over the state. It was awesome to see everyone.
- Enjoyed a cookout with Jeans nieces and nephew and their families
- Visited with friends from Belle Plaine, Buffalo, and Amboy, MN
- Attended the Good Counsel Craft and Garage Sale with hundreds of like-minded bargain hunters. The talents of the sisters are awesome!
- Were piggies at Jake's Stadium Pizza in Mankato where we wolfed down two HOUSE SPECIALS!
- Loved our time with Jean's sister and the nuns who seem happy to see us when we come (or maybe they are just good actresses????)
On October 17 we left Mankato and started our journey toward North Carolina and home. Our first stop was in Madison, WI where we ended up staying an additional night as the truck died (ended up being a small issue, so we happily spent the afternoon exploring a shopping mall).
Crawfordsville, IN KOA was our next stop - just an overnight. We were thankful we could get in, as it didn't look too promising when we arrived.
Saturday we stopped at the Renfo Valley KOA in Mt. Vernon, KY. They were celebrating Halloween, so we saw a lot of little ones dressed and parading before getting their treats from the willing campers. We were also asked if we would show our trailer to a couple of young women who had been admiring the trailer as we pulled in. They were awed.
On Sunday we arrived in warm, sunny Swannanoa, NC and enjoyed two days there. We visited the Carl Sandburg home in Flat Rock, NC and enjoyed our favorite German restaurant in Black Mountain, NC.
We are currently camped at Fort Mill, SC at the KOA and are enjoying the company of our friends from Raleigh who have moved here.
On Friday, October 26 we will head for Raleigh and a reunion with family and friends. It's been a great trip!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Pictures - MT and ID
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| Falls at Twin Falls, ID |
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| Idaho Falls, ID |
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| Doll House at Butte, MT |
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| My new buddy - Idaho |
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| Jack's new buddy |
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| Jack at Rock Creek Station in ID |
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| Side view of the station |
Minnesota 9/24- 9/30
From Iroquois, SD we drove to Worthington, MN to visit with the Burkard side of the family. We enjoyed seeing our nephews and their wives and Jack's brother and sister-in-law and seeing all the bean and corn harvesting that was taking place. To be honest, we also enjoyed breakfasts at the Hy-Vee in Worthington. It's one of our favorite grocery chains, and we enjoy having their fresh bakery. We always camp at the Olson Campground in Worthington, which is right on the lake and it has a wonderful hiking trail along the lake. We made very good use of the trail and so didn't gain weight eating all the homemade goodies we enjoyed while visiting.
One day we drove over to Pipestone, Mn to see the Pipestone National Monument where Indians of many different tribes would come to quarry for the red stone used in making their peacepipes. The Indians consider the area as sacred ground, and even warring tribes were there at the same time to quarry. No fighting was allowed in the area. To this day Indians still come to quarry the stone, and the Park Ranger said there is a 10-year waiting list to come and quarry.
On Saturday we drove to Fairmont, MN to visit friends and stayed until Oct. 1.
One day we drove over to Pipestone, Mn to see the Pipestone National Monument where Indians of many different tribes would come to quarry for the red stone used in making their peacepipes. The Indians consider the area as sacred ground, and even warring tribes were there at the same time to quarry. No fighting was allowed in the area. To this day Indians still come to quarry the stone, and the Park Ranger said there is a 10-year waiting list to come and quarry.
On Saturday we drove to Fairmont, MN to visit friends and stayed until Oct. 1.
South Dakota 9/15-9/24, 2012
We traveled on 9/15 from Sheridan to Rapid City, SD where we stayed at the KOA. On Sunday we headed for Mt. Rushmore to revisit the Monument. We hadn't been there since the 1980's when we took our girls to see it. My, what a big difference! Since our last visit a new granite front entrance had been put on it, and a new amphitheater was added, as well as two book stores and a Borglum Museum. We took many pictures and enjoyed the gift shop and book stores. While in the gift shop, Jack met one of the men who worked on the the sculpture and bought an autographed book by the man. It was nice to see that they had a "made in the USA" section to the gift shop, although the majority of the clothing and souvenirs were made in China :-(
After Mt. Rushmore we drove the 16 miles or so to see the Crazy Horse Monument. When we were there in the 80's, only the "armpit" was being worked on. Since then his face is done, his arm is outstretched, and they are beginning to work on the horse's head. They now have an Indian museum, a gift shop, and an area where the Native Americans may set up tables and sell their crafts. What impressed us the most was the fact that they DO NOT ACCEPT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE US GOVERNMENT! All work is paid for by donations and admissions to the site. As Crazy Horse is quoted as saying: The only promise the EuroAmericans kept was the promise to take our land, and they did!"
On Monday we stayed in camp to take care of household chores, and to pack away some of our summer clothes and get out our warmer clothes, as the evenings were getting down into the 30's and the days were only getting up to 50-60 degrees. Brrrr.
Tuesday we left Rapid City for Mitchell, SD and drove through the Badlands. We were fortunate enough to see some wildlife on the side of the road, and stopped at the visitor's center to see the movie on the Badlands. We camped at the KOA in Mitchell - no tv, no wi-fi signals so rented The Hunger Games from Redbox and watched it.
From Wednesday to Monday the 24th we visited with relatives in Iroquois and Brookings, SD. We celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary with Barb and Rollie Walter and went to dinner at Tailgate restaurant in Huron, SD.
After Mt. Rushmore we drove the 16 miles or so to see the Crazy Horse Monument. When we were there in the 80's, only the "armpit" was being worked on. Since then his face is done, his arm is outstretched, and they are beginning to work on the horse's head. They now have an Indian museum, a gift shop, and an area where the Native Americans may set up tables and sell their crafts. What impressed us the most was the fact that they DO NOT ACCEPT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE US GOVERNMENT! All work is paid for by donations and admissions to the site. As Crazy Horse is quoted as saying: The only promise the EuroAmericans kept was the promise to take our land, and they did!"
On Monday we stayed in camp to take care of household chores, and to pack away some of our summer clothes and get out our warmer clothes, as the evenings were getting down into the 30's and the days were only getting up to 50-60 degrees. Brrrr.
Tuesday we left Rapid City for Mitchell, SD and drove through the Badlands. We were fortunate enough to see some wildlife on the side of the road, and stopped at the visitor's center to see the movie on the Badlands. We camped at the KOA in Mitchell - no tv, no wi-fi signals so rented The Hunger Games from Redbox and watched it.
From Wednesday to Monday the 24th we visited with relatives in Iroquois and Brookings, SD. We celebrated our 48th wedding anniversary with Barb and Rollie Walter and went to dinner at Tailgate restaurant in Huron, SD.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
September 11 - 14, 2012
We spent September 11 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn near Hardin, MT. We had been here before, but felt it deserved a closer look now that we had read quite a number of books about the battle and about the Indian version of the battle. Our first stop was the Introductory film at the Visitor's Center and went back through the museum which meant so much more to us this second time. A ranger gave a talk on the patio about the strategy Custer used and the reasons for the fight. At 12 we took the Crow bus tour to the Benteen battle site. Our guide was Lakota Sioux, and she emphasized the idea that there were about 2000 Indians vs only about 650 soldiers, Indian guides, and civilians who were in the group. We appreciated the guide's attention to detail and her ability to describe and point out the various areas of the battle to us. We hiked one of the battlefield trails and visited the National cemetery which is at the site before leaving. It was a very moving 6 hour visit and only made us want to dig even further into the events of that fateful day.
Sheridan, Wyoming - Sept. 12 - 14.
Sheridan is a true western town and has an extensive historic area. We drove 11 miles out of town to the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum. Bradford Brinton was from Chicago and bought the Quarter Circle A ranch in 1923. He used this ranch for a vacation home and as a repository for the bulk of his collection of Western art including works by Russelll, Remington, Borein and F. T. Johnson. At his death his sister inherited the rance and kept her brother's collection in tact. The house with it's original furnishings and artworks, the barns, and the bunkhouse were available for tour. It was a very interesting tour!
After lunch we toured the Trail End home of John B Kendrick, former Wyoming Governor and US Senator. He came to Wyoming territory in 1879 as a trail rider on a cattle drive. He married in 1891 and for 18 years lived in SE Montana where he started what became the Kendrick Cattle Company, a 210,000 acre collection of cattle ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.
The house was finished in 1913 and was lived in by the family until 1961. The house was empty for seven years until the Sheridan County Historical Society purchased it. The furnishings in the house are all original to the family. It's an outstanding home museum.
On September 14 we drove about 25 miles south of Sheridan to the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site. We made a wrong turn and ended up at the Fetterman Battle Site, part of the Phil Kearny site, but about 5 miles from the fort site. It is here that on 12/21/1866 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors engaged a military force commanded by captain William J. Fetterman. Fetterman's group was sent to rescue a wagon train. The warriors attacked the soldiers, overwhelming the separated cavalry and infantry units. All 81 men were killed within thirty minutes. Only the Battle of the Little Big Horn stands as a worse defeat for the US Army and a greater vistory for the Plains Indians.
We found our way to the Fort and stopped at the Visitor's Center to see the introductory movie and go through the museum before going out to see the outline of where the various buildings had been. The fort was only occupied from 1866 - 1868 and then was decommissioned when train travel made protection of wagon trains no longer necessary. The fort was abandoned in early August 1868, and was burned soon afterwards by the Cheyenne. In 1963 the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark.
We left September 15 to travel 225 miles to Rapid City, SD.
Sheridan, Wyoming - Sept. 12 - 14.
Sheridan is a true western town and has an extensive historic area. We drove 11 miles out of town to the Bradford Brinton Memorial and Museum. Bradford Brinton was from Chicago and bought the Quarter Circle A ranch in 1923. He used this ranch for a vacation home and as a repository for the bulk of his collection of Western art including works by Russelll, Remington, Borein and F. T. Johnson. At his death his sister inherited the rance and kept her brother's collection in tact. The house with it's original furnishings and artworks, the barns, and the bunkhouse were available for tour. It was a very interesting tour!
After lunch we toured the Trail End home of John B Kendrick, former Wyoming Governor and US Senator. He came to Wyoming territory in 1879 as a trail rider on a cattle drive. He married in 1891 and for 18 years lived in SE Montana where he started what became the Kendrick Cattle Company, a 210,000 acre collection of cattle ranches in northern Wyoming and southern Montana.
The house was finished in 1913 and was lived in by the family until 1961. The house was empty for seven years until the Sheridan County Historical Society purchased it. The furnishings in the house are all original to the family. It's an outstanding home museum.
On September 14 we drove about 25 miles south of Sheridan to the Fort Phil Kearny Historic Site. We made a wrong turn and ended up at the Fetterman Battle Site, part of the Phil Kearny site, but about 5 miles from the fort site. It is here that on 12/21/1866 Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors engaged a military force commanded by captain William J. Fetterman. Fetterman's group was sent to rescue a wagon train. The warriors attacked the soldiers, overwhelming the separated cavalry and infantry units. All 81 men were killed within thirty minutes. Only the Battle of the Little Big Horn stands as a worse defeat for the US Army and a greater vistory for the Plains Indians.
We found our way to the Fort and stopped at the Visitor's Center to see the introductory movie and go through the museum before going out to see the outline of where the various buildings had been. The fort was only occupied from 1866 - 1868 and then was decommissioned when train travel made protection of wagon trains no longer necessary. The fort was abandoned in early August 1868, and was burned soon afterwards by the Cheyenne. In 1963 the fort was designated a National Historic Landmark.
We left September 15 to travel 225 miles to Rapid City, SD.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Butte, Montana - Sept. 5-10, 2012
Butte, MT is called the "Richest Hill on Earth". At one time the town had miles of tunnels and many copper mines. The population of Butte at one time was 100,000 people! Most of the miners were immigrants from various countries who were hoping for a better life. When the copper ran out, the population of the town dropped to about 35,000 people, which is the approximate population at this time.
The Butte, MT KOA is really a convenient campground. The Visitor Center and a walking trail are both next door, so we walked over after getting the trailer set up. We also took a walk on the hiking trail - very nice. We picked up many brochures of possible things to do. However, I was frustrated when I tried calling the two house museums I was hoping to visit -- no answer at either. The lady at the Visitor's Center indicated that since Labor day, many of the facilities were likely either closing for the season, or cutting their hours.
Thursday we tried stopping at both the house museums, but neither was open, although their web sites indicated that they SHOULD be open. We ended up walking through the historic "uptown" and reading signs on the historic buildings. Hmmmm, not exactly what we had in mind, although exercise is good!
Friday we stopped at the Mai Wah museum, a Chinese museum in the heart of the area that had been China town. The historic Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building were the cornerstone of Butte's once vibrant Chinatown. They are now Montana's only museum devoted to the history of Chinese immigrants in the mining west. They were particularly excited about obtaining the return of an extensive collection of Chinese material. The items were the remaining inventory and personal items of the Wah Chong Tai Company and the Mai Wah noodle parlor. They represent a range of items from clothing, spices, herbal medicines and household religious items.
We stopped at the Mall and inquired about the Our Lady of the Rockies statue which overlooks the city of Butte from the Continental Divide at 8510 ft. The statue is 90 feet tall and is the end result of a dream and six years of work. The statue is lighted and visible at night. The project was the result of volunteers of all faiths working together to construct a road to the top of the mountain and the fund raising projects to make the statue possible. It was started on 12/29/1979 and was completed on 12/17/1985. The statue is reached by school bus and tours occur twice a day. The next project is to build a gondola to take the visitors to the top in 5 minutes, rather than the 1 hour bus ride each way that is currently occurring.
We took the Trolley Tour from the Visitor's Center that afternoon. IT was the best thing we did in Butte, as the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the town and it's history. We shared the trolley with the Red Hats who had come to Butte from 5 states for their annual convention.
Since the Red Hats were in town, I figured that women like house museums and sure enough, on Saturday both the Copper King Mansion belonging to William A. Clark and the Clark Chateau which belonged to his son were both open for tours. Unfortunately the Copper King's Mansion only had a few original pieces, but was furnished with period furniture of the era. The Chateau had been turned into an art gallery, but the house was interesting. Again, very little furniture was in the house, and again it was period, not anything that had belonged to Wm. Clark's son.
Sunday we completed our sightseeing of Butte with a trip to the World Museum of Mining at the Orphan Girl silver mine. The other mines were copper mines, but the Orphan Girl was a silver mine. We enjoyed the DVD about the history of mining and the town, and the exhibits were interesting. There is generally an optional tour of the mine, but on Sunday there was no tour. OK with me, I don't like going underground -- mines, caves, etc.
The Butte, MT KOA is really a convenient campground. The Visitor Center and a walking trail are both next door, so we walked over after getting the trailer set up. We also took a walk on the hiking trail - very nice. We picked up many brochures of possible things to do. However, I was frustrated when I tried calling the two house museums I was hoping to visit -- no answer at either. The lady at the Visitor's Center indicated that since Labor day, many of the facilities were likely either closing for the season, or cutting their hours.
Thursday we tried stopping at both the house museums, but neither was open, although their web sites indicated that they SHOULD be open. We ended up walking through the historic "uptown" and reading signs on the historic buildings. Hmmmm, not exactly what we had in mind, although exercise is good!
Friday we stopped at the Mai Wah museum, a Chinese museum in the heart of the area that had been China town. The historic Wah Chong Tai Company and Mai Wah Noodle Parlor building were the cornerstone of Butte's once vibrant Chinatown. They are now Montana's only museum devoted to the history of Chinese immigrants in the mining west. They were particularly excited about obtaining the return of an extensive collection of Chinese material. The items were the remaining inventory and personal items of the Wah Chong Tai Company and the Mai Wah noodle parlor. They represent a range of items from clothing, spices, herbal medicines and household religious items.
We stopped at the Mall and inquired about the Our Lady of the Rockies statue which overlooks the city of Butte from the Continental Divide at 8510 ft. The statue is 90 feet tall and is the end result of a dream and six years of work. The statue is lighted and visible at night. The project was the result of volunteers of all faiths working together to construct a road to the top of the mountain and the fund raising projects to make the statue possible. It was started on 12/29/1979 and was completed on 12/17/1985. The statue is reached by school bus and tours occur twice a day. The next project is to build a gondola to take the visitors to the top in 5 minutes, rather than the 1 hour bus ride each way that is currently occurring.
We took the Trolley Tour from the Visitor's Center that afternoon. IT was the best thing we did in Butte, as the guide was extremely knowledgeable about the town and it's history. We shared the trolley with the Red Hats who had come to Butte from 5 states for their annual convention.
Since the Red Hats were in town, I figured that women like house museums and sure enough, on Saturday both the Copper King Mansion belonging to William A. Clark and the Clark Chateau which belonged to his son were both open for tours. Unfortunately the Copper King's Mansion only had a few original pieces, but was furnished with period furniture of the era. The Chateau had been turned into an art gallery, but the house was interesting. Again, very little furniture was in the house, and again it was period, not anything that had belonged to Wm. Clark's son.
Sunday we completed our sightseeing of Butte with a trip to the World Museum of Mining at the Orphan Girl silver mine. The other mines were copper mines, but the Orphan Girl was a silver mine. We enjoyed the DVD about the history of mining and the town, and the exhibits were interesting. There is generally an optional tour of the mine, but on Sunday there was no tour. OK with me, I don't like going underground -- mines, caves, etc.
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