Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Boogie Stop Going West and Roosevelt NP

9/13/2020 - 9/16/2020

9/13/2020

Today we boogied from Cave City to Sugar Creek Campground in Crawfordsville, Indiana. We met up with my sister and brother-in-law to begin our trek west. This campground was a little bit out of the way and other than the fact that we didn't have sewer it was a nice campground and side by side sites where we could be together. We had a nice Happy Hour and got to bed a little early. 

Good to be with my sister for our trip west

Bill, Eileen, Stella, and Skip Our Adventure begins!

9/14/2020

Today we boogied 294 miles to Hunts Cedar River campground in Tipton Iowa. We arrived at the campground and it was closed, no one around, and no information on our reservation or anything. After a twenty minute wait and a number of phone calls someone finally appeared from a garage in the back of the office. This campground was probably 85% permanent sites and the pull thru transient sites were right by the highway (I80). The site were very nice if you were able to ignore the noise of the trucks. It was a restless night for all of us and we were out of there early next morning.

9/15/2020

Our Boogie today was to Camp Faribo RV in Faribault MN. This was a small campground that again had only a few transient sites that were back in sites. We unhooked our cars and backed into the mud. We picked this campground because my cousin Joe Garbarino lives about 25 miles away. After a nice happy hour with Joe and his wife Marta we departed for great dinner at El Cancun Mexican Restaurant. It was a great meal and very nice catching up with them. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening.

The Garbarino's, The Graham's, and The Grudzinski's Great Company, Great Meal!!


9/16/2020

Today we boogied around Minneapolis and headed up I94 to Oak Park Campground in Garfield Minnesota. This a small very pretty, well kept park a few miles from I94. We were going to have a outside fire tonight but it actually got to cold. The temperature tonight is supposed to go below 40 degrees. So we closed the doors and turned on the heat. We took our half hour walk after we hooked up and met some people who used to vacation in Emerald Isle. Full Timers who started there journey just a few months ago. It's nice to feel the crisp air. Tomorrow we finally hit South Dakota

We are starting to see a little bit of Fall Colors.
The sumac is red!





Behind the campground.

Tonight's site. Very clean and nice.

The farm and pond next to the campground.  


9/17/2020

Boogied to Bismarck ND today. Stayed in a KOA that we stayed in back in 2014 with Mark and Kathie Kocoureck. The best part about this stop was the fuel for $2.079/gallon.

9/18/2020

Today we drove to Medora ND which is the little town next to Theodore Roosevelt NP. The GS campground is Red Trail Campground just on the edge of town. The reviews of this campground were not good but the people are nice and other than the dust it is a nice place. Skip saw nine mule deer a hundred yards from our site when he walked Stella last night. We went to town and had a nice "high calorie" lunch at Boots Bar and Grill. Tomorrow we head to the NP.

9/19/2020 Roosevelt National Park and Medora

We had a great day in the park. We stopped at the welcome center and we were able to tour Teddy Roosevelts ranch home " The Maltese Cross Cabin" that was relocated to this location in 1958. He had a nice place for the 1880's. This is our second visit here and it is a beautiful park that displays the Badlands of ND. Wildlife includes plenty of Buffalo, Wild Horses, and thousands of Prairie Dogs. They also say there are antelope but we didn't see any of them today. 

The loop road that is in the South section has had a road cave in so we drove the portion that is open and turned around. The trees are changing now and it is really beautiful. A quote from the NP brochure. " I have always said I never would have been President if it had not been for my experiences in North Dakota" Theodore Roosevelt 1918

He basically changed his entire outlook on life during his time in ND. This is a great park, make sure you put it on your list. You will enjoy the wildlife and the beauty.




Road art on the way to Medora. Montana I94


Roadside rest on I94 that is within Roosevelt NP
Carol, Skip, and Stella

Starting to get cool outside. Roosevelt NP in the background.


Our new friend Teddy. Not a big guy,



Welcome Center! Roosevelt NP



Roosevelts cabin. Moved from a nearby location to the Welcome Center area in 1958!

Our first of many Wild Horse sightings. The mounds are Prairie Dog mounds!




Millions of years of erosion!



Far away sand box!

Mommy any daughter!


Napping?

Love!



A very dry beautiful place!







Buffalo Wallow!

Just two of thousands! They live in these villages!



Young guy!



Sometimes you need to get away from the crowd!




Don't stand on the edge!

This is what the sun looks like with smoke in the atmosphere!

Not bad for a prairie home!


The surface is hard but crumbly!

High breezy ridge in Roosevelt. Stood here back in 2016!

Trees are starting to change!

A beef processing business is what helped put Medora on the map. Roosevelt raised cattle for this business. The business failed after just a few years because most of the cattle in the area froze to death one winter.

Almost looks like a tree. Erosion!

Fall begins in Montana!

I own this road! You are just a tourist. This guy was a big dude!

You just can't capture the beauty with a picture. So you will have to come see for yourself!

Fall!

Friday, September 11, 2020

Mammoth Cave 9/11-9/12

9/11/2020 

Today we boogied to Cave City Kentucky. Tomorrow we will tour Mammoth Cave NP. The ride was  very pretty, up I75 through Eastern Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky. Kentucky route 80 goes through the Daniel Boone National Forest. We decided not to get off at the exit that is pictured below. Not the place we wanted to go. 

We are at a Jellystone Campground that is very clean and probably has about 200 sites and a large number of cabins for rent. This is a nice campground. I'll post the rest tomorrow after our tour.

Stinking Creek Rd doesn't sound like a place we want to go!



9/12/2020

Today we did the tour of Mammoth Cave. Covid 19 has made it difficult to do anything. Most of the bathrooms were closed, it was one way through the entire Welcome Center, and masks required, above ground and in the cave. We have toured a number of caves over the years and this one was somewhat underwhelming. We did the Historic Tour which was the only one offered because of Covid. The entire thing was self guided and very dimly lite so you really couldn't read the brochure that they gave you of the two miles covered. They used to mine saltpeter in this section for use on gunpowder for the War of 1812. There were rangers along the way that told us a little about the cave history. This section is interesting but pretty plain. If you are planning on going here I would suggest waiting for this lousy pandemic to be over so you can sign up for one of the other tours. This cave has one of the longest areas underground of any other caves in the entire world. We saw two miles worth.

Tonight we rest as we begin our boogie across the US. 

Cheers

Bill



We were at the end of the line for the 11:00 am tour (Going Down)

Saltpeter processing area. Stay back!


Who is that masked man?

No stalactites or stalagmites in this section of the caves. 


They have found artifacts dating back over 2000 years in this cave. I believe it was a Trump Flag but I'm not sure.


Wednesday, September 9, 2020

On the Road Again!


9/8/2020

The Willy Nelson song rings in my head. We are at our first stop (Statesville, Midway Campground) Nothing special about this campground it's just the right distance between home and Sevierville, TN. This is our first and last stop for all our trips West. Today, Wednesday, we head to Sevierville for a nice dinner at the Chop House, some Knife store shopping, and relaxing along the river. I guess we missed the rain that hit EI, too bad.

The pictures will start soon, I am just happy to be "On the road again"

Cheers!

9/9/2020

The Chop House Dinner was great. We really love this RV Resort. It is relatively small and very well maintained. Drove in past the Crape Myrtles and pulled into site 10 along the French Broad River. I like sitting out front and watching the wildlife across the river. I only saw one deer and a blue heron yesterday because of our dinner out. Tonight I will have more chill time outside. The weather is still hot and we had a nice sunset last night. Today is a shopping and touring day down toward Pigeon Forge. I hope I can post the few pics I took.


More than knifes (clothes, guns, tactical gear, kitchen stuff, and much more)

A Beautiful Resort!

Home for two nights. On the river!

RELAX!



We got our sunset tonight after the cousins Zoom Call!

We will be heading to Cave City Kentucky tomorrow and will visit Mammoth Cave NP on Saturday!