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Began the one-week road trip with a stop at the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, off the Bayfield Peninsula in northern Wisconsin. Kayaked out to Sand Island and explored some of the sea caves. No pictures on the water as the lake was too rough to get my phone out. Explored the town of Ashland,Continue reading “Lake Superior Roadtrip”

Started the morning with a stop at the Mitchell, South Dakota, Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is worth seeing annually as the corn murals change. Decided to head to Lake Okoboji in Iowa since it is relatively on the way back to Rochester, rounding out this van-tastic-adventure of 40 days and 40 nights! Camped atContinue reading “Day 40 (July 4, 2020): Mitchell Corn Palace & Lake Okoboji, Iowa”

Started the day before sunrise at Custer State Park with a drive on the Needles Highway. There was absolutely no one else on the road, which made for a rather nice experience. Drove the Wildlife Loop and saw quite the variety of animals: deer, rabbits, wild turkeys, prairie dogs, buffaloes, long horn sheep, and squirrels.Continue reading “Day 39 (July 3, 2020): Hot Springs, South Dakota”

Began the day in Spearfish, South Dakota and drove to Hill City, South Dakota. Made a stop at the Pactola Reservoir. Drove through Deadwood, SD. Rode a portion of the Mickelson Trail (17 of 104 miles) from Hill City, past Mystic to Tunnel C and back – 34-miles. Had a big thunderstorm while out onContinue reading “Day 38 (July 2, 2020): Mickelson Trail”

Stayed at a KOA last night and woke up to a beautiful view of Devil’s Tower. I was also happy to have a flushing toilet and a place to shower. It’s the little things in life! Biked into Devil’s Tower National Monument as the last information I heard (and heard from the ranger at theContinue reading “Day 37 (July 1, 2020): Devils Tower”

Visited Hot Springs State Park. Did some laundry at the Wishy Washy Washateriain in Thermopolis. After getting abundantly clean, drove down the scenic Wind River Canyon from Thermopolis to Shoshoni, Wyoming. The poverty I saw in Shoshoni was unexpected. There is one gas station, three closed motels and a smattering of trailers and houses alongContinue reading “Day 36 (June 30, 2020): Wind River”

Woke up in a Walmart parking lot again. This is becoming a bit of a habit. It rained all night and is still raining this morning. Tried to stop at the local coffee shop – Tippy Cow Coffee – but apparently the grill was down so they were closed. Made a stop in Cody, WyomingContinue reading “Day 35 (June 29, 2020): Thermopolis, Wyoming”

Spent the morning wondering around the historic district. Helena was founded as a gold camp during the Montana gold rush, and established in 1864. Over $3.6 billion of gold was extracted in the city limits over two decades, making it one of the wealthiest cities in the United States by the late 19th century. OnContinue reading “Day 34 (June 28, 2020): Helena, Montana and Beyond”

After spending the morning in Glacier, Vanna hit the road heading east. Got as far as Helena, Montana. Got some pizza and headed for the local Walmart for the night. Walmart Parking Lot