Dispatch from the Road 2025

  The 2025 Great Summer Road Trip June 16-17, 2025   A couple days ago someone suggested I should write an RV Travel guide; I replied in jest that it would be very short. I then wrote the three-chapter book. Chapter one, “Just Go!" Chapter two, "Stay flexible!" Chapter three, "Don’t worry", the end. We used all three of those chapters in the next few days. Millie started feeling poorly on our drive south from Minnesota. Knowing her, she probably felt bad before that, but she doesn't like to complain. I'm sure she was hoping it was just the regular flu. We didn't do anything after arriving at Cut Rock State Park in Illinois, just rested in the RV. What exactly she had contracted were still undetermined when we went to bed. At about 3 am we woke up and she said I need you to take me to the ER. Luckily there was a big hospital not three miles from the campground. Three AM turned out to be an excellent time to go to the emergency room in Rockford Illino...

  June 15 2025 Sunday The Mall of America and malls in general, what can I say? There not a man’s world that’s for sure. The Mall of America is three stories tall, and we walked every bit of it. You know what I didn’t see, Man stores! There was not a single Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply in the whole place. For the first time, I missed Sears, a man could always count on the Sears tool department to break the monotony of mall shopping.  Unknown to us at the time, Millie was coming down with Covid Millie pointed out a few men’s clothing stores, all of them displaying trendy new fashions. I told her they were for young men who hadn’t yet learned the value of a dollar. The only store I thought interesting and I actually went inside for a minute was the Swiss Watch Store. I won’t tell you what the retail price of my Rolex is or what I paid for it, but it’s probably the best investment I ever made. Enough about that, the mall had many stores to make women happy and I suppose kids ...

  June 13-14 2025 Fri/Sat Friday June 13 2025 When we started this part of the trip, we only had a few places and activities planned. We did know we would enter North Dakota mainly because it is the last of the 48 lower states we have visited. We also knew we would cross the border in the Southwest corner of the state and had made reservations near Theadore Roosevelt National Park.  High point of North Dakota We had one disappointment shortly after we crossed the border. I wanted to hike to the high point of North Dakota, but it is located off a busy two-lane road and there was absolutely nowhere to park, not even a shoulder. Not a big loss, it's just a pile of rocks out in the middle of a field, but still.  We drove on to Medora where the campground by Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located. We stayed in Red Trail Campground because it has utility hook ups and camping in the park is primitive with no utilities. We spent most our time in the park driving the scenic l...

  to Fort Robinson in Nebraska and then on to Custer South Dakota June 11 2025 Wednesday We departed Manitou Springs and traveled first east and then north on state highways. We drove through Colorado and most of Nebraska for a total of 350 miles. We are parked for the night at Fort Robinson State Park in the northwest corner of Nebraska. It may have taken us longer to get here but we saw some beautiful countryside. We’re spending the night in the park’s campground for $42..  Overnight at Fort Robinson State Park If you’ve ever spoken with someone who has driven across Nebraska, you have probably heard it is flat, boring and hundreds of miles of nothing. That is not true in the Northwestern part of the state. It is true that like the rest of the state it is very rural, but it is exceptionally beautiful. The land rises into rolling sand hills and vast expanses of grass lands. Further north there are mountain ridges that appear to have been formed by some long-ago upheaval of th...

  The trip so far. June 9-10 2025 Manitou Springs CO We enjoyed our stay in Los Alamos, but it was time to go, we have reservations tomorrow at a campground in Manitou Springs Colorado. So, this morning with hugs and a few tears we said our good byes and continued on our journey. It’s a one day drive of 300+/- miles from Los Alamos to Manitou Springs Colorado. The first half is on very rural two-lane road, very desert like at first, but then mother nature treats you to a very scenic mount pass. When you get to I-25, well its like any interstate anywhere. We are now at the Garden of the Gods RV Park in Manitou Springs Colorado.  Our site at Garden of the gods RV Park We got to town early enough that after setting up the RV we were able to go browse in a couple thrifts stores and get something for dinner. Tuesday June 10 This is my 2nd time on the Manitou Incline, I climbed to the top in 2023 and with no rational reason I have been longing to do it again.  It's only 2768 st...

  Barrel Mountain June 7 2025 Friday When we visit Los Alamos, I have a view of Santa Fe National Forest (Some maps call it Los Alamos National Forest) From our RV window there is a small mountain locally called Barrel Mountain. (8000 feet) Every morning when I would sit at this window drinking my coffee, the mountain would call me.   I wondered what was at the top? Was there a trail to the up the mountain? Could I just blaze my own path to the summit? Every morning, I pondered these questions. I’ve kept this desire climb the mountain to myself. I didn’t feel I would get any positive feedback for obvious reasons, you’re too old, you’ll get hurt, lost, snake bit, eaten by a bear, yada, yada.  Our next stop on this trip is Manitous springs Colorado where I am going to climb the Incline again. (2768 steps up the side of a mountain) I feel my gym regiment at home has me in decent physical condition, but we’ve been on the road for a month and I have been hiking as last-mi...