Day 4: Latham, KS to South Fork, CO

'Day 4 was a long day in the car (721 miles to be exact!).

We didn't intend it to be that way, but Kevin put in a lot of miles as we searched for a campsite.  It got to the point that I was searching for a Walmart parking lot to camp in for the night but Kevin refused to drive all the way out west to just sleep in a parking lot.  So we drove until we found a campsite in the Rio Grande National Forest.

The most frustrating part of the day was when we saw the pop-up camper take the last spot in some other random campground right in front of us in the late afternoon!

Regardless, we found someplace safe to camp for the night!  Everyone in the campground had gone to sleep when we pulled in; there was not a single campfire blazing.  So, we quietly and quickly set up camp in the last remaining spot and crawled under the covers for some much needed rest.'

Day 3: Elsinore, MO to Latham, KS

'After a chilly night in the scamp, we loaded up again early in the morning to continue our westward travels.  Day 3 would take us across the flat plains of Kansas to a State Fishing Lake near Latham, Kansas.

We found a beautiful campsite atop a hill and spent the evening watching Scout swim and relaxing in the nearly constant breeze.  As night fell, the lightening bugs came out in full force.  It was the pictures of summer.

I particularly enjoyed reading a book on the bench in the scamp--I could see the lake and feel the breeze. Heavenly.

Fresh air always makes me sleepy, so we headed to bed early and enjoyed a deep sleep...which would be necessary for the next day of our adventure!'

Day 2: Yellow Springs, OH to Elsinore, MO

'For this road trip we had a definite destination in mind, so we got up bright and early and piled back into the truck to continue our journey.  The next night would take us to a campsite outside of Elsinore, MO in the Mark Twain National Forest.

With a view of the water, towering trees, and only a few fellow campers, we were able to quickly set up camp and settle into relaxing at the campsite.

Scout in particular enjoyed the access to water, and I enjoyed relaxing with a book.  Reno ALWAYS enjoys sleeping in the scamp (if he sees even one bug at the campsite he packs it in for the night), and Kevin spent time taking a short hike and relaxing at the campsite after so many hours in the truck.

I haven't driven since my diagnosis.  My doctor advised against it when lesions were discovered in my brain.  She cleared me to drive after radiation and no symptoms indicating that I shouldn't drive, but I still prefer not to if I don't have to.  Thankfully, Kevin and family and friends have helped with that.  I'm just glad Kevin likes to drive so much!'

Day 1: Home to John Bryan State Park, OH

'On the last day of school, Kevin and I climbed into the truck with the pups and hit the road as soon as we could. Literally. We could not wait to put the school year behind us and find some peace, quiet, and relaxation.

I wasn't much help this year since my medication makes me get tired easily, so Kevin made repairs to the scamp, loaded her up with our clothes and groceries, and basically did everything necessary to get us "road ready."  All I really had to do was pack my clothes and get in the truck when it was time to go.

We decided to start this years trip the same way we ended the last one--at our favorite "local" campsite in John Bryan State Park in Yellow Springs, Ohio.  We only had to drive an hour or so to reach our destination, so it wasn't too long after walking/running out of the school building that we were eating a pineapple, broccoli, water chestnut, extra garlic pizza from HaHa's by a crackling campfire with our pups.

It's amazing how just being outside and even a short distance from home gave us a sense of relief and rejuvenation.  The weather was perfect, and almost as soon as the sun set, I kissed Kevin goodnight and headed into the scamp to read and fall asleep.  I couldn't wait for a night in our home away from home with a slight breeze making the curtains flutter.

Night one of our Road Trip 2017 was a success.  It's what i'd been dreaming of when I was trapped in a hospital bed or on the couch, but wasn't sure I'd be able to do so soon.'

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.