June 9th ~ South Dakota ~
A rainbow of colors at Badlands National Park
Designated a National Monument in 1939, it is a relatively young National Park, getting that status in 1978. Drawing around a million visitors a year, the parks 244,000 acres is home to bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs and black-footed ferrets. Continue reading
June 8th ~ Chamberlain, SD
Front of Dignity Statue
We decided to have a shorter day. Our only scheduled stop was to see the Dignity Statue which is located at a rest stop/information center overlooking the Missouri River along I-90 near the town of Chamberlain, SD. Continue reading
June 7th ~ Mitchell, South Dakota ~
Falls Park ~ View from observation platform
We had a full day, and I am concerned that we may be stretching Shirley a bit. She is not used to doing this much walking and I can see her getting weary as the day progresses. I don’t want her to overdo it, and get sick or injured, so we will be watching closely. Continue reading
June 6th ~ West Bend, IA ~
The Grotto of the Redemption with St Michael, the Archangel
One does not expect to find a site sometimes billed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World’ in a small town in rural NW Iowa, with an estimated population of only 700 people. But today we had the opportunity to see this place for ourselves. Continue reading
June 5th ~ West Branch, IA ~
Hoover Presidential Library and Museum
As we expected, there is a bit of a learning curve when a third party joins us in the RV. We were up around 8:00 this morning, but by the time we got ourselves organized, waited out a thunderstorm, got showered, hair washed, had tea/coffee, ate breakfast, hooked the car up, and closed up the RV, it was 11:00 before we got out the door. Continue reading
June 4th ~ Chrisman, IL to West Liberty, IA
Shirley and Gus as we start our adventure
Well, we are back on the road today. This time Tim and I have company (besides Gus that is). Tim’s mom, Shirley has joined us in the RV for the return trip. We will be taking the northern route from Illinois back to California with the intent of stopping at several of our favorite National Parks on the way. Continue reading
MAY 31st – June 2nd ~Chrisman, IL
The brand new married couple – Mr & Mrs Will Porter
The rest of our time in Illinois, it was all about THE WEDDING!
Ashley is smart, beautiful, tiny, sweet, and Tim’s niece. She is the only child of his brother Larry and sister-in-law Marie and as you might expect, loved beyond measure. Continue reading
May 26th-31st ~ Hume, Illinois ~
Memorial Day in Hume at the city park
Tim is from a split family, as many of our friends are. Growing up in a small farming community, everyone knows everyone. When we come back to his home town area, we try to visit as many of his family members as we can. Continue reading
May 27th ~ St. Louis, MO
Missouri Botanical Garden
Our weather was hot and humid, but we were not to be deterred. Since it was a holiday weekend, finding an RV park in St Louis the previous evening became difficult. We ended up staying about 60 miles west of town, so after a lazy morning, a bit of a drive and a late breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we finally arrived in St Louis.
May 24th ~ Claremore, OK
Philbrook Mansion and reflecting pool
Back on Route 66 out of Oklahoma City, we made our way north toward Tulsa. I have enjoyed seeing some of the old classic cars along the way and today we were treated to seeing a couple more. Continue reading
