D7 - 05/05/24 DAY TO EXPLORE

Our morning started a little colder at 41*. Then the wind began. So thankful we are not driving today. Wind advisories will be in place all day. It will be a steady 25-35 mph winds with gusts to 45 all day!

When coming into a National Park whether we have visited previously or not our first order of business is to hit the Visitor Center. You can get all the information and details about the park and find out if there are any advisories or best things to do to plan your day with the time you have. I usually ask other questions as well. Today’s questions to the Park Ranger were:

Where’s your favorite place in the park to view sunset? Sunrise? And what’s your personal favorite place in the entire park? It’s a great way to get a one on one personal conversation going with an experienced expert of the park. 

After speaking with the Park Ranger we decided to do drive the Badlands Loop Road. It’s some pretty amazing scenery people. Indescribable. I took way too many pictures. We saw so many prairie dogs we couldn’t count them all. The bison were out roaming as well.  Saw a few pronghorn antelope. However missed seeing any bighorn sheep. 

 

To answer someone’s question on what’s the Badlands? The Badlands are a type of dry, fragile looking terrain with clay-rich soil that has been extensively eroded by wind and water. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common here. And to think they had considered calling it Wonderland. 

 

While out on the Loop road we drove up to Wall for fuel. Easier to fuel when not towing. Drove by the famous Wall Drug. We did not go in. Had visited here a few years ago with Jett and she’s probably banned from returning. 

On our return to the Badlands we stopped at the lodge for lunch. Since it’s Cinco de Mayo we only thought it fitting to have Navajo Tacos! Then took a few short hikes near Cedar Pass. Our day ended with our weekly family Zoom meeting (from bumper of Airstream), met a couple from Toronto Canada in their Airstream, flamingo’d another Airstream from Florida and watched what we could of the sunset from our basecamp. Too many clouds to drive to the suggested overlook for sunset. Turned out to be a very busy long but fun day! 

(Someone please tell Jett we are two hours behind Florida time!)

D6 - 05/04/24 BELOW THE PLAINS

 

It was a tad bit cold this morning in Montrose, SD. My best guess is that it was a crisp 49*. The little electric heater kept the interior of the Airstream a toasty 62*. 

Our morning needed to be a slow start with just a three and a half hour drive plus a time change and minus a side trip we had time to spare. So we took advantage of the power and had hot coffee and a biscotti! Did a little house cleaning and finally began heading west mid morning. 

The Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was a little side trip that we took at our exit off I-90. Definitely an amazing stop. Definitely an interesting piece of our American history. Definitely a scary place to think about having existed. It’s a bit scarier than going to the Nuclear Museum in Albuquerque. The Great Plains once housed 1,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles underground targeted primarily at Russia formerly the Soviet Union.

Our final stop for this evening is at the Badlands National Park. We have a campsite in the National Park. Not the best campsite but every campsite is the same. All parallel parking on each side of the road. We actually sat in the road after dinner because our door is facing the road and the other side of the Airstream is in the shade where it’s cold. We are here two nights. Finally a multi-night stay! Tomorrow should be a fun day to explore this incredible national park. 

D5 - 05/03/24 SOUTH DAKOTA

Yet another travel day. We awoke to heavy fog on the farm so we delayed our departure until it all burned off. The fields were absolutely beautiful with the trees on the grounds all draped in the heavy fog as the sun rose. It was a brisk 53* this morning when we departed the farmhouse. 

I drove the first half of the day again getting us through Kansas City and heading north on I-29. Trying to get diesel fuel can be a challenge at times. Either broken pumps, pay inside, 50 semis to negotiate, or bagged diesel pumps it took me three gas station stops at one exit to get fueled. All great maneuvering challenges. 

Now that we are much farther north and heading west again on I-90 we are in Montrose, SD for the evening it will be a bit cooler tonight. Arrival temperature was 57* in the truck at 5PM. This little town of less than 500 people has a really amazing city campground. I think we might be the first campers of the season. They just opened on May 1st. The pool is definitely not open yet. The girls softball team was in action on the next block and the home team was winning 3-4 when I walked over with Jett. That was fun to watch!

Tim is taking the opportunity to fix the water heater. We could not do the repair the last two nights due to Jett being sick Wednesday night and all that rain last night. The repair went super easy and finished before the rain arrived. Thank you again D&L. 

Our little electric heater is cranking away inside the Airstream since we have power this evening. In checking radar there is pink and blue stuff on radar just west of us. Not sure what that is and will do some research to find out! 

📍 

#alaskabound

#airstream

#makeyourownsunshine

#neverstopexploring

#optoutside

#findyourpark #hike

#explorationhappens

#planB

#livingthedream

#lifeisgood #onward

#happycamper #wanderlust #aluminitus

#rv #flamingos

#roadtrip #hammocklife

#camping

#trailerparklounge

#travelphotography

#jetthappens #worldoflabs

#liveriveted #ukulele

#airstreamnrivets

#airstreamrenovation

#airstreamrestoration

D4 - 05/02/24 FROM NIGHT AT THE DISTILLERY TO NIGHT AT THE FARMHOUSE

*Alaska Bound! 

What a lovely evening we had last night. Once the sun set and things cooled off we continued to sit outside in the field of clover between the Airstream and the distillery. No bugs. Beautiful sky. Nice overlook of the distillery. A van lifer who was also camping there came over and chatted for a bit. Snow birds heading back home. His name was Tim. That was a funny introduction! He thought my Tim was repeating his name. LOL

Our travel day today was alright. I drove most of the day taking us through St. Louis then west on I-70. Tim took over the last two hours. We had a number of big storms he drove through while I watched radar for any purple in the storm systems. Avoiding that ‘H’ word at all costs if possible especially in this area. 

This evening landed us at the Red Brick Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast in Higginsville, MO. I didn’t get the best pictures as it was pouring on our arrival. We are camping in their side yard overlooking the freshly planted fields of corn. 

The rain kept us from grilling our planned dinner so instead we opted for hot bowls of delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup. This turned out to be the perfect meal. Served in bowls nestled in my cute bowl Coozies (thank you SB!!) with shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips. The weather front that we drove through today has currently dropped the temperature down to 66* before nightfall. We will begin to transition to our winter clothes tomorrow. 

For those asking about Jett … she is much better today. Thank goodness. I had given her some medicine last night and will continue to monitor her. 

D3 - 05/01/24 BEAVERS, SICK DOG AND A DISTILLERY

Unbelievable. Last night we had sent a text to wonderful friends of ours that live nearby where we were staying for the night. They then asked if we wanted to meet for breakfast this morning. Why YES!!

So this morning we met D&L at the Buc-ees 🦫 just three miles up the interstate.  Had coffee and breakfast outside on the tailgate. Super cool. We love them! Knowing that we needed to source a part out for our Airstream and that they are Airstream’rs too they looked at home and had a few new spare water heater plugs for us! No way. Wow. Love them!! What are the chances?! 

Our original plans have had us meeting up with them on our return into the States. So this was an extra special opportunity to meet with them now. I even received a special store tour from them inside Buc-ees as they are Super Fans! They have so many insider tips. 

Our evening ended at Old Glory Distillery in Clarksville, Tennessee. Super nice place. The food is amazing and not that the whiskey or bourbon was bad but I would probably come back just for the food. Think Prime Rib Egg Rolls! They even welcomed Jett like she was family!! 

There is also an Army Airfield nearby. Did not know that and we were not expecting the air show. Another bonus!! As for Jett she ate something in the flower bed at the Cracker Barrel late last night. I don’t want to say what we think it was  … 🐈‍⬛💩. And needless to say her belly is not feeling the best today. 💩💩💩 Here we go again!

Our plan is to get about three more days of driving in to put a few more miles behind us. Then we will be able to take a few days here and there to explore and enjoy this Epic Adventure! 

(Currently just shy of 4,000 miles still to go … one way) 

D2 - 04/30/24 NORTH OF ATLANTA

Today’s travel day was pretty uneventful. I took the wheel the first half of the day. Had light traffic into Georgia and just a little rain. Tim drove the second part of the day. Traffic in Atlanta was not the best but not the worst we’ve ever seen. We landed in Adairsville, GA for the night at a Cracker Barrel. 

As we got out of the truck Tim discovered a cracked nylon hot water heater drain plug on the Airstream. We will hopefully be able to source a part to fix that in the morning. So until that happens no hot water for us. 

I am sharing a wonderful poem written by my dear sweet friend Joan. She wrote this to commemorate our Epic Adventure to Alaska …

(for those who know the meaning of the last sentence … you know)

It’s departure day, hooray, hooray,

Alice and Tim are on their way.

Off to Alaska they are bound,

With incredible beauty, sights and sounds.

This is an adventure they will never forget,

Nor one they will ever ever regret.

The many miles of travels in their Airstream,

Is the result of planning their lifelong dream.

Have fun in your travels and enjoy the ride,

Alice has planned and mapped and will be a great guide.

At the end of each day, you’ll be tired and with a sigh,

You’ll be so glad to say “I know a guy”!!!!

D1 - 04/29/24 EARLY DEPARTURE

 D1 - 04/29/24

EARLY DEPARTURE 

Amazing! Never before have we departed a day early. There’s a first for everything I guess. 

Today is now the beginning and Day 1 of our Epic Adventure. We only drove 2 1/2 hours into north Florida to Stephen Foster State Park where we have stopped before. 

It was an easy first days drive. Nice campsite and quiet campground. Tried to have an evening adult beverage outside until we noticed ticks on Jett. Oof! 

So until my next post, for those who haven’t seen it, here is the interior of our Airstream and our home away from home until fall.

(all 208 sq ft) 

#alaskabound