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!