May 13th...Turn Up the Heat!

Many Wisconsinites have been grumbling over the extra body insulation accumulated over the long winter of 2014.  It doesn't happen very often; but ours came to our advantage in the middle of the night.  We woke up about 3:00 A.M. last night and it was freezing cold in the motorhome.  The pilot light had gone out!  It was 30 some degrees outside and 40 some degrees inside!  Burrrrrrrrr!  Bill fixed it and it is all warm and cozy again.  Guess there's no reason to keep that extra body insulation any longer.

We probably have seen these beautiful hills of South Dakota almost
 a dozen times and never tire of them.  Our children had the pleasure of visiting the many sites in this area...Badlands, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Bear Country, Prairie Dog Town, Sturgis, Devil's Tower....just too much to mention!  It's a state that would keep any kid entertained, even if they just like to play in the sand...
...and there's lots of that!   

Now....with GPS, you can see all the sites even if you don't have time to see them all on one trip.  However, the Mount Rushmore exit isn't the one you want to pass by.  We have seen it many times during the day; only to find out that the nighttime viewing is even more majestic and breath-taking!

After passing hundreds of Wall Drug signs from Minnesota to Wall, South Dakota, it's hard not to stop for a free ice, cold glass of water and a 5 cent cup of coffee.  That's how it all got started back in 1931 during the depression when Dorothy Hustead's family drug store was barely breaking even.  Dorothy heard the jelopies rattling by and thought that they may be very thirsty from their dry, dusty ride.  So she put up a few signs offering cold, icey water for free.  Business began to multiply, along with the number of billboards.  Today those hundreds of signs advertising Wall Drugs in Wall, South Dakota are as far away as Antarctica, which is 10,645 miles away.  I really don't think they have to worry too much about getting ice, cold, water down there.  

It was a beautiful, sunny;  but cool day traveling today.  The wind, with gusts of 35mph or more, made it for a rocky ride again.  We can see snow on the mountain in the distance.  Hopefully, none on the roads we will be taking in a few days.  Guess we can always park our motorhome and wait for the snow to melt.   

Hangin' Out At the Campground (Day 13)

Today was kind of a down day for us....I don't mean downer of a day, just a day to get things down and pack for the 3-day ferry ride to Alaska.  The campground we stayed at was a nice,clean place with lots of friendly people from somewhere and on their way to somewhere else.  Interesting to hear their stories. 

This is Jack...he was the welcoming committee at the campground.

Our camping neighbors were from Florida.  They are heading to Fairbanks, Alaska to see their grandchildren and spend the summer there.  They have been at this campground for two weeks waiting for their passports to arrive because they need them to go through Canada on their way to Fairbanks.  Sounds like they live in their motor home because they said they will need to look for a winter home after Alaska.  I don't know if I could live my life in a motor home and wake up to new neighbors all the time. 

So we hung around the campground and did those things that still need to be done, even when you're on vacation.  Laundry was one of them..........

Someone forgot their clothes...not my size :-(

Our motor home has a shower; but 6 gallons of hot water doesn't last very long.....so a nice clean shower room is a welcome site for a 10-minute shower girl!  Ahhhhh...the comforts we take for granted.

There is now a black pin marking that someone from Tomah, Wisconsin has stayed at this campground.

Bill is checking out our route and making sure that we are heading the right direction, while Sue is finishing up...

the free buffalo wings from the campground luncheon.  Yummmmmm! 

Just in case I am sea-sick on the ferry tomorrow and can't eat :-)