Days 45-46: A Few Miles to Go

This summer has been quite the adventure. We've seen fire and ice. We've seen buffalo, bears, elk, deer, mountain goats, prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, and coyotes. We've been to concerts, we've made new friends, we've climbed to the tops of mountains. We've put our toes in the Pacific Ocean. We've watched sunsets and stood in more streams and lakes than I can count. We've seen more than I can possibly capture with words. 

It doesn't feel like we've been on the road for a month and a half, but my calendar says we have. We've had to rely on ourselves out in the middle of nowhere. We've gotten dirty. We've gotten lost. We've found amazing spots we hope to visit again. We've sat in powerless terror as a powerful storm swept overhead. We've learned to sit in complete silence until the silence turns into sounds you usually overlook in the chaos of daily life--until it turns into the rustling of Aspen leaves and the chirping of insects. 

My favorite part of being out in nature is finding places that make me feel small. Most of the time while we are on the road we were cut off from the news and "real world" and only got snippets of what was happening out there on the radio or on the phone when we have service or from texts from family and friends. We caught bits and pieces of Orlando, Dallas, Baton Rouge, the presidential campaign drama, etc. At times it felt like our world is falling apart, but I can assure you--if there's anything I have learned from this trip--it is not. There is most certainly evil and ugly in this world, but there is most certainly beauty here too. I know that the issues our society is facing are real, and big, and important. But I also know that the planet doesn't care. While we all fight, the mountains still stand, the rivers still rush, the trees still whisper in the wind. I find peace in the certainty of that. It makes me feel small, but it puts things into perspective. I wish that everyone could just remember to pause and take in the beauty of this planet and realize how impossibly perfect it is. It's hard to be upset and angry when you are standing on the top of a mountain or floating in a sandy-bottomed lake. 

That sounds a bit hippy-ish, but I know I can't capture what it's like to see this country in the way that we have. The people. The towns. The landscapes. I can only say that we are lucky to live here and we are lucky to have seen so much of it. 

We decided to end our trip at one of our favorite places to camp here in our home state of Ohio. John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs. Speaking of hippies...this is a great place to find them or be one!!! As I write this, I'm sitting by our last campfire of the trip. We've been away from "home" for 45 days, but we've found so many "homes" along the way that I can't even say I have been homesick. 

I do look forward to sleeping in our king sized bed and cuddling with our cat Springs and having a dishwasher and a refrigerator and running water. That will make the end of the trip a little less bittersweet,  but I know that this isn't the end of the adventure! It's just a Rest Stop. (And a much needed one at that...thanks to the damage from the hailstorm!!!) There's definitely more to come. 

"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, 

And I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep..."

-Robert Frost 

Days 42-44: Eastbound

We decided to try to head north before heading east in hopes of getting some cooler weather on the way home, but our plan didn't work so well. We ended up driving right through a heat wave. Thankfully, we were able to find state parks with electricity at the sites so we could get some good rest each night with the air conditioner running. 

We also decided to take our time making our way home. As a result, we found some great places and made some more memories as we headed back east towards Ohio.

Our 42nd day on the road was action packed! After leaving our site at Custer State Park we enjoyed the scenic drive to exit the area and drove on the pigtail bridges, navigated the stone tunnels, and even caught a few glimpses of Mount Rushmore. We also stopped for a delicious (and famous) roast beef sandwich lunch at Wall Drug before driving through the Badlands. We even made time to stop in Kennebec for their  Chislic (flash fried cubes of beef famous in that area). Scout even got to meet the chocolate lab that greeted us when we stayed in the area on our first road trip four years ago! 

We ended up staying at Snake Creek State Park in South Dakota. It is a great park with a nice beach along the side of a lake. We all enjoyed sitting by the water after a long day in the car!!! 

The following morning, we packed up early in an attempt to beat the heat and humidity. It's hard to believe that at one point in the trip I was wearing winter boots, a winter hat, and multiple layers but was still shivering!!! 

After leaving our site, we hit the road once again. We drove for a bit before stopping at Pipestone National Monument just across the border in western Minnesota. Kevin read about it in a book, so we were curious about this site. It has been a sacred place for Native Americans since the 1600s. It is a quarry filled with soft pipestone--a distinctive red rock that they use to carve peace pipes and other objects. The quarry is still in use today; only Native Americans have access to the site. 

We walked the scenic trail to see the quarries, watched a Native American demonstration of pipestone carving, and enjoyed looking through the signs to see some of the named rock formations (such a cute feature!) while Native American chants could be heard performing a Sun Dance across the field. Kevin was able to purchase a chunk of pipestone at a nearby store. He's going to try carving something himself. 

After enjoying the monument, we climbed back in the truck to put in some more miles. As evening approached, we pulled in to Whitewater State Park in eastern Minnesota. We quickly set up camp (we lost an hour from driving into a new time zone) and headed down to the river before the sun set. Once again, we were able to end a long day in the car with our feet in some cool water while Scout swam and Reno watched from shore. 

I was thankful for the air conditioning on such a humid night. It's hard to believe the Native Americans were performing a Sun Dance! It certainly felt like we had enough already!

Day 43 on our journey meant another early morning wake up and more miles. We drove and drove and drove (and paid what felt like 50 bucks) on the Illinois turnpike with a destination in mind. Lake Michigan. We "lost" another hour by crossing time zones, but our only stop for the day was a quick lunch stop at Chipotle (Yum! I talked Kevin into stopping at one chain restaurant all trip. This was it!). 

We pulled into Warren Dunes State Park in Michigan just north of Toledo around 7 pm. What a great park! The campsites are a little close together, but the 4 mile dog beach along Lake Michigan is well worth it. 

After setting up camp, changing into swim suits, and giving my brother a call to wish him a happy birthday we headed to the lake. Before we started heading back home Kevin asked me what else I hoped to accomplish on the trip. My response was--water. We have reached that goal! We've had water on our toes each day on our journey back towards Ohio. 

There were only a few other people on the beach when we got there, and after several hot days the 74 degree water felt spectacular. I decided to jump right in. Kevin stayed on shore while Scout swam in the lake with me. Even Reno couldn't resist. He voluntarily went for a ten second swim before coming to his senses! 

We've got sand everywhere--in the sheets, in the truck, on the floor of the Scamp but with only a few days left in this adventure, we figure we can live with it. 

Our final stop will take us to our favorite Ohio camping spot--John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs. We are en-route now. I can't believe it! 

Day 41: Hawk Springs, WY to Custer State Park, SD

The thunderstorm blew over us in the night, so we woke up nice and dry in the morning. (Thank you, Mother Nature, for having mercy on us after the hailstorm!).

We packed up yet again and set out for a park we stayed at on our first road trip out west--Custer State Park in South Dakota.

Located just outside of Mount Rushmore, it is a popular State Park, but we were able to find a spot at Center Lake. Custer has one of my favorite drives ever--the Needles highway--so we took that route to get to our site for the night. 

We set up camp under the towering pine trees and then took the pups down to Center Lake. I set up my chair in the edge of the water so the cool waves could cut the warmth of the sun while Scout jumped from the dock. It felt like a setting from a postcard: hammocks, paddle boards, kayaks, cliff-jumpers, couples holding hands in the water. I walked away from that lake feeling completely refreshed...even if we did have to leave earlier than I would have liked due to yet another storm on the horizon. 

We made it back to camp just as the thunder began to rumble at the edge of the forest. We dried Scout off and all climbed into the Scamp to weather the storm. I've always loved the sound of rain on the roof, so I happily climbed under the covers with my book while Kevin lounged on the bench with his. We are still jittery from the hail, but the damage couldn't get much worse, so there wasn't much to worry about.

Before long, we were all sound asleep in the Scamp as the storm crashed and poured outside. When it blew over, we emerged to make some BLTs before it got too dark. By the time we sat down to eat, though, we needed our headlamps and the campfire to help us see. 

Dinner was delicious (and late), so we headed to bed with warm and full stomachs and unsure plans for the next day. 

Day 40: Medicine Bow National Forest, WY to Hawk Springs State Recreation Area, WY

After a night sleeping just miles from a forest fire, Kevin and I both woke up with stuffy noses from the fine mist of smoke that settled in over the area. 

We packed up once again and continued our journey north. Today would be one of the most eventful days of our trip, but we didn't know it yet. 

On our way to our campsite, we took a detour to the state Capitol of Wyoming--Cheyenne. Our friends told us to check out a store there--the Sierra Trading Post--so we decided to make it a stop along the way.

The Sierra Trading Post did not disappoint. We found some awesome folding chairs to take on our trip to the beach later this month and some new hammock straps. I can't believe that we hadn't heard of the STP before. 

We were hungry after shopping, so we stopped at a diner that used to be a working traincar. The food was yummy, and I bought the largest cinnamon roll I have ever seen for 5 bucks. It was ridiculous. It will feed Kevin and me for several breakfasts!!! The Banana Cream Pie was delicious, too!!!

We had one more stop to make before heading to our campsite for the night--the grocery store. We stocked up for a few days and started loading up the coolers as we noticed an ominous cloud in the sky. 

I looked for a weather report...it looked like the worst of the storm had already blown over north of us and the next chance for rain wasn't until 10 pm. Boy. Was that forecast wrong. 

We had just pulled on to the freeway when the skies opened up on us. At first it was rain. But then the hail began. It was so white and windy that we had to pull over to the side of the road. There was no turning around. There were no bridges. All the other vehicles and we could do was pull over and wait it out. It was hailing so hard that Kevin and I couldn't hear each other through the noise. We could only brace ourselves and hope that the windshield didn't break. 

Eventually--as all storms do--the cloud blew over and all was calm again. The highway was covered in an inch of hail. We knew the brand new truck was badly damaged...but we didn't want to risk getting out of the truck on the side of the road to check it out. We decided to forge ahead to the campsite and then assess the damage. 

I don't know how the motorcyclists and animals that were caught in the storm made it through unscathed. It was a storm unlike anything I've ever seen. 

A two mile drive down the worst gravel road I've ever seen brought us to a campground on the banks of a pretty river. It was a sight for sore eyes. 

Once we pulled into our site for the night was when we realized just how bad the damage from the storm was. The side and hood of our truck has hundreds of dents. The brake light cover is shattered. The windshield has several divots. Two of the windows in the Scamp were cracked. The tire cover was shredded. 

All of these things can be replaced, though, and our trip is coming to an end, so we spent the next few hours trying to make the best of things. We cleaned the glass and water from the inside of the Scamp. We put up a clothesline and used the spectacular breeze to dry out our sheets and bedding. Kevin duct-taped the windows. I called the insurance company to start a claim. 

It's all part of the "adventure." It's a pain, but I'm willing to take the risks in exchange for the experiences we have had this summer!!! It can all be fixed!!!

Once we were back in working order, we took Scout down to the dock so he could swim and we could try to relax after such an eventful day. The breeze, the lapping waves, and the sunset were just what we needed. If only there weren't flies everywhere! (We discovered later that the trash hadn't been collected in awhile...hence the flies. :( ) 

One of our "neighbors" came over to talk when he saw us working to get our Scamp back together once everything was dry. What a small world--he grew up in Dublin, Ohio!!! It's neat meeting so many different people out on the road. Everyone has their own stories, and some hit close to home! 

Once the sun set, we noticed thunder and lightning on the horizon once again, so we decided to head to bed to rest up with hopes that the duct taped windows would hold! 

We wanted adventure...we are getting what we asked for. I can't believe it's almost over! 

Day 39: Buena Vista, CO to Medicine Bow National Forest, WY

As the sun began to rise on the morning of Day 39, the Scamp quickly warmed up and got us moving. 

Our plan was to head north for a bit before heading back home in hopes of cooler temperatures, so we set out for Wyoming. 

Another day of driving brought more searching for a campsite...leaving Telluride right at the weekend was not our brightest idea. Eventually, however, we found a site on the banks of the North Platte River in the Medicine Bow National Forest. 

It was the perfect spot for the night. After setting up camp, we walked down to the river where we were able to wade in the water while Scout played in the Rapids. The water was the perfect temperature...nice and refreshing! It was a definite change from the numbing waters of the streams in Telluride! 

Once we were relaxed from our day in the car, we headed back to camp to make some dinner before dark. 

After the sun set behind the hills, Kevin and I decided to go on a walk to check out the most unique aspect of the campground. The view of the forest fire on the mountains just across the road from where we were staying.

As we were driving in to the campground, the giant plume of smoke could be seen from miles away and "Thank You Firefighters" signs were hanging along the fences. At night, you could see the flare ups and flames. We spent some time watching the flames on the hillside...so close...yet far enough away to not be a concern for our safety. 

The fire began some time in June and is not expected to be fully contained until October. The cause of the fire remains unknown. It was interesting to see nature take its course...little did we know that fire would consume our day today and ice would take the reins the next day.