Waking up to smoky air and a fine coating of ash on the car and camper was confirmation that we shouldn’t head farther west. I was really hoping that the 11 days of our journey to Colorado would be enough time for the fires to be contained and safe passage to California would be possible. Looking around at other places we might visit came up with no good options. Taos looked like a fun place to visit, but then NM put in a 14-day quarantine for out of state visitors. The other problem with going to new places is that the options for things to do is very limited in the time of Covid – the dining scene is out, as are all of the indoor sights, and any other popular attractions that tend to get crowded. We are still being extra cautious.

One place that we knew we could head to was Oak Island, NC, where we could spend as much time as we wanted at our beach house – a week on the beach sounded so good! But then I checked our rental reservations, and someone had just booked it for the following weekend. Oh well, 3 days on the beach is better than none, so we started driving eastward.

East of Denver, there isn’t much happening in CO. Lots of open land with cows and farmland. The fields of CO gave way to sorghum fields in Kansas, and hundreds and hundreds of wind turbines – way too many to possibly count.

Our first stop was an Atlas Obscura site in Goodland, KS – an 80-foot tall easel with a 24-foot x 32-foot reproduction of van Gogh’s “Three Sunflowers”. Kansas is the Sunflower State, and Goodland is in the center of the sunflower industry. The artist, Cameron Cross, had planned seven of these installations – one for each of van Gogh’s Sunflower Paintings. Canada and Australia are home to the first 2, and it looks like this one in Kansas was the last to be built. Another funky sight to see in the middle of nowhere.

For the night, I had found an Army Corps campground near Junction City, KS – Curtis Creek Campground. All of the sites were first come, first served, and this was their last night of the season. It looked like there should be some spots open. The camping loops were right along a lake, and no highway nearby! When we arrived, the campground host welcomed us and said to pick any spot and pay online. We were right that there were spots open – on the loop we chose there was only one other camper. For $20 we got a great spot near the water with electricity and water hookups. We watched the sun set over the lake, and a beautiful moon came up in the other direction. It was such a nice place to spend the night. If it hadn’t been their last night of the season, we might have stayed for another night. The hosts came by in the evening to make sure everything was good, and we had a nice chat with them.

Today’s destination is Laramie, WY. On the way, we stopped to check out Carhenge in Alliance, NE. One man’s tribute to a place he once called home. With no “stones”, he used what was readily available – cars. There are also a few sculptures made from car parts that have been added to the site. It’s very silly, and a good distraction from the long drive.

Having your house behind your car on your travels is very convenient. We pulled into a nice park in Kimball, NE for our lunch stop. Pop into the camper, make some sandwiches, set up chairs in the park and enjoy a pleasant lunch. Plus, the bathroom facilities are always there – and always clean!

On the way to Laramie, we stopped in to see Chimney Rock in Bayard, NE. Since we were towing the camper, we weren’t daring enough to drive the road all the way out to the rock. It was still a neat sight from the visitor’s center.

The final leg into Laramie was not as we had expected. Just east of the city, we drove into a thick cloud of smoke from the wildfires. We didn’t have any windows open, yet our eyes were burning from the smoke. There was no way we could drive further into this and expect to camp. So, time to backtrack to Cheyenne. We were able to find a last minute Hipcamp reservation just north of Cheyenne, at Last Chance Camp. We filled our water tanks and parked out in the field where 2 other campers were set up. We could smell the smoke and the sky was socked in, but it wasn’t enough to be much of a bother.

Although we didn’t have an electrical hookup, our camper battery runs our lights and water pump, and the propane cools the fridge and heats the water. With a fairly good cell signal, we spent some time working on the blog while John is teaching me some of the code involved.

We awoke to a surprising amount of soot and ashes on the camper and car. I’m not sure how far away the fire is, but that stuff is traveling quite a distance. Our current campsite wasn’t more than camping in someone’s back yard, so we decided to venture into the unknown – Boondocking!

Since our plan is to be in Boulder, CO on Sunday, we looked for some public lands between Cheyenne and there to try our first boondocking – totally off the grid. We weren’t sure that we would be able to tell where camping is allowed in these areas, but I found a map of Pawnee National Grasslands that shows exactly where it is allowed. There is private land mixed in with public, and you need to be sure you are not on the private land. So, off we go to Pawnee. Grasslands is right – hardly a tree in sight! Paved roads give way to dirt roads, and we found a well-used site near a small watering hole. We both gave a go at practicing our trailer backing and were able to park it on a level spot.

As we pulled in there was a pronghorn on the ridge behind our spot, but he didn’t stick around for me to get my camera out. Being near the water hole, we hope to see some wildlife. I did spot 2 birds at the water’s edge, and using our new Peterson’s Bird Guide, identified them as a black-necked stilt and killdeer. Tracks in the mud show cows, deer, and something with some good claws. There was also a cool snake at the water’s edge.

We felt like we were settling into our new spot, had lunch and a little nap, but noticed an increase in the smoke and even ash falling around us. The sky was now brown with smoke and it was getting uncomfortable to breathe. I checked in with our camping hosts for the next night in Boulder, and was able to reserve a spot for the night. So, everything got packed up and we were back on the road. The drive to Boulder through Fort Collins was really smoky, and we hoped that Boulder would be clearer. We were in luck! We set up camp in a field in the back of large horse stables – I counted 27 horses in the paddocks around us. Oh, and the sun was out! Kat lives 20 minutes from here – she’s celebrating her birthday with her roommates tonight, so we’ll see her tomorrow.

Although we didn’t need to wake up early, the rooster was up at 5 on the dot. He didn’t get much response, so he gave up for a while before trying again. It was nice to wake up to the sounds of the farm animals. Pancakes and hot tea for breakfast, and a visit from the farm dogs to start the day.

We bade farewell to the farm and silly goats. Today was my day to drive with the camper. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I could definitely feel the weight of the camper on the car, but it pulled smoothly behind us. The hardest part is not being able to see the road behind you. When we made our first stop, we checked inside and everything was still in place. We have our heavier things (food, heavy pots, etc) in the lower cabinets in hopes that they will stay put. The cabinet doors have latches, but they can pop open as the camper moves and contents shift.

Atlas Obsura site for the day was the World’s Largest Peace Pipe in Pipestone, MN. Pipestone is known for its Pipestone National Monument, which is an active quarry still used for carving ceremonial pipes. Only those with Native American Ancestry are allowed to quarry the pipestone, using hand tools and traditional methods. Due to Covid-19, the visitor’s center was closed, so we’ll save that for another trip.

Our drive continues into South Dakota and over the Missouri River into Niobrara State Park in Niobrara, NE. This campground was a stark contrast to the campground in Michigan. There were very few campers here, so plenty of space between us. There were a couple of big RV’s, but mostly smaller units and tents, and it was very quiet. During the night, I heard a few trucks rumble by on the nearby road, and a brief coyote conversation – otherwise the sound of nothing.

We’re getting the hang of living in our small space. Tea and oatmeal on our indoor stove to start the morning, keeping dirty dishes to the minimum (eating oatmeal out of the pot saves a dirty bowl ), clothes kept neatly stowed in their totes, put things away as soon as you’re done with them – maybe some habits that will stick with us when we get home. If we are not hooked up to a water source, we can hold 24 gallons of fresh water in our tanks. This week we are staying in campsites where we can fill up, so we aren’t at risk of running out. After next week, we’ll probably try some boondocking – finding a secluded spot on National Forest or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land to camp for free. Then we’ll be relying on our battery for lights and water pump, propane for refrigerator, stove and water heater, and our single fill-up of water. We have yet to determine how much water it takes to shower – not too much from our first showers, but more when I decided to wash my hair. Our toilet uses some water, too. We’ll see how long we can last “off the grid”.

We had leisurely morning before packing up to head farther west. About an hour from Niobrara is the Ashfall Fossil Beds. This was very cool! 10 million years ago there was a huge volcanic eruption that sent an ash plume far to the east, covering the area with a layer of ash that killed all of the wildlife. What is unique about the Ashfall site is that they have discovered a watering hole where the animals gathered immediately before they died. There are many different species of fossils here, most in complete, intact skeletal form – camels, tiny wild horses, rhinos, turtles, dogs, deer and birds. The site was found by accident in the 1970’s and only a small area has been excavated. The active dig site is enclosed in a large barn, and fossils are left in place when found. They have public dig times during the summer – maybe something to consider for the future.

Back on the road and heading for Chadron State Park in northwest Nebraska. Some observations from the drive –

• The roads are long and straight – our gps told us to turn left in 248 miles!
• The farm equipment is different than what we see in New England – it’s all big here
• Corn and beans for miles – as far as the eye can see
• Sunflowers as far as the eye can see in the western part of the state

Views from the car.

Chadron State Park campground was similar to Niobrara. There were more campers here, but still very quiet. We pulled in next to a small camper that had passed us earlier on the road. It’s fun to see the different kinds of campers that people have. They come in all sizes and shapes.

Dinner of tomato and cheese quesadillas on the Coleman camp stove. We haven’t gotten too elaborate on the cooking yet – pancakes, veggie stir fry, salads. We brought lots of food with us to minimize our need for shopping, so we’ll break into that soon. A good paneer dish with rice will be coming soon.

In order to make our 9 a.m. appointment at Scamp Trailers, we got up extra early. We’ve gotten the campsite breakdown and pack-up down to 25 minutes, so on the road at 6:15. The excitement builds as we get closer – yes, we’re really doing this! Our eyes were peeled, and I think we both spotted the Scamp on the pole at the same time.

First order of pick-up is to get the walk-through of our camper. Dave showed us how everything works – inside and out. A lot to absorb, but we’ll figure it out. Time to hitch it onto the car and hand over the check to our sales person, Nick. A quick call to our insurance company and she’s ours!! Total time at the nest, 48 minutes – 36 for the camper and 12 minutes adding it to our insurance policy. We didn’t know what to expect when we arrived, but certainly not that fast!

The Scamp is easy to tow, and we headed south to our next stop. On the way, we had to stop and see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. There are several that qualify for this distinction, and the one in Darwin, MN is the largest wound by a single person. Coming in at 12 feet in diameter and 17,400 pounds, it’s pretty darn big! It held the Guinness record from its completion in 1979 until 1994. The creator, Francis A. Johnson spent 29 years winding baling twine for 4 hours every day! The ball now stands on display in the town center with a small museum and gift shop.

Atlas Obscura stops so far –

• Mark Twain’s Study
• Roger Tory Peterson Institute
• Hillandale Bridge
• Food Gatherers Giant Carrots
• Giant Brown Trout Sculpture
• Spoonbridge and Cherry / Giant Blue Chicken
• Largest Ball of Twine

More to come…

Our third Hipcamp stay was at We Have Goats – and yes, they have very cute goats! Hipcamp is a great find. We have had very different experiences during our 3 stays, but all positive. Our hosts at We Have Goats had so much more to offer than we had expected. Aside from the friendly dogs and cute goats, we had a power hookup, fresh filtered water to fill our tanks – and that hot shower felt so good!

Getting the car unloaded and setting up the camper was fun. There is a surprising amount of space and storage in the camper, but we don’t want to fill it all up right away. It will take some time to figure out what we really need for our travels. We did have a problem getting our refrigerator to start. It is set up to run on 3 power sources – 120V electric, battery power and propane. Since we had the electrical hookup, we wanted to use that. Unfortunately, the insufficient power alarm went off when we switched it to the 120V power. A call to Scamp didn’t get us an answer, and we didn’t want to turn around and drive back up. We switched it to propane and said we’d make some calls in the morning. We got someone from Scamp to walk us through some troubleshooting, and found out that they hadn’t plugged the fridge into the power outlet. We fished out the cord and plugged it in – problem solved!

While the rest of the campground was still fast asleep, we packed everything back in the car (and I mean packed) and headed off to find the ferry. We were second in line and waited while the sun came up. The SS Badger has been a ferry on Lake Michigan for almost 70 years. She has a capacity of 600 passengers and 180 vehicles. We were nowhere near full capacity, and John and I shared the Upper Deck Café area with about 10 other folks. The lower deck areas were more crowded, but we were ok with missing out on the bingo, trivia games and movies. The SS Badger slogan – Big ship, more fun! The lake was a little rough, giving us a slightly rocky ride, but it was a beautiful day to be on the lake. 4 hours later (3 by the clock, as we moved to the next time zone) and we landed in Manitowoc, WI.

Second car on the ferry meant second car off, so we were on the road quickly. Just north of the city we passed the Biden motorcade heading in the other direction. It would have been fun to join in, but that darn Covid keeps getting in the way!

Next stop was Minneapolis to wander in the Sculpture Park, another stop on our Atlas Obscura tour to see the Spoonbridge and Cherry and giant blue rooster . Fun sculptures, nice gardens, and a pleasant break to stretch our legs. It seems like a popular spot for families to spend time – lots of kids running around and families enjoying the nice weather.

A short drive north brought us to our next Hipcamp location. This was Flying “L” Vineyard in Isanti, MN. We had a nice spot for our tent in a field with young fruit trees. There was another group camping on the other side of the property near the vineyard, but far enough away that we couldn’t tell they were there. Our host provided lots of firewood, so we sat by the roaring fire after sunset. We thought we heard a fox yapping as we were turning in for the night, but otherwise had a quiet night. Up again early to make our camper pickup appointment!!

After an early morning rise to close up our summer cottage, we were on the road! Our cross-country road will have stops in Backus, MN to pick up our camper, then down to Boulder, CO to visit Katherine. We hope to continue west to see Matt and Meghna, but it looks like wildfires will scuttle those plans. We’ll keep an eye on that situation and will be ready to go if we can do so safely. If not, there will be another road trip as soon as we can get out there.

It was a beautiful fall day, and an easy drive to Elmira, NY. Our first stop was to visit Mark Twain’s study on the grounds of Elmira College. Being an early Saturday morning, the picturesque campus was almost deserted. The octagonal study, built in 1874, was where much of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court were written. In 1952, the study was moved from its original home to the college campus. Check out this link for more of the history.

Back in the car and on to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History in Jamestown, NY. Many of us grew up with the blue Field Guide to the Birds, written by Peterson. His system for identification was based on grouping similarly shaped birds together and highlighting the differences, making identification easy for amateur birders. This system was then expanded to other animals and plants, resulting in 52 field guides. Not only did Peterson compile these field guides, but he made all of the illustrations by hand. The institute displays many of these original works, as well as an extensive exhibit of bronze bird sculptures by Stefan Savides. We now own a new copy of Field Guide to Birds of Eastern and Central North America. Our binoculars are packed, so we’ll work on a list of bird sightings along the way – I did see a bald eagle as we were driving through NY!

Our final stop was in Chardon, OH to pitch our tent for the night. Until we pick up the camper, we are tent camping. Not being fans of big, crowded campgrounds (and they are crowded these days!), we decided to give Hipcamp a try – it’s like Airbnb for camping. Our first night was at Regenerative Farm Stay. We had a nice tent site in a big hay field, and fired up our Coleman stove for a pot of veggie soup with paneer. We were tired and it was really cold, so we crawled into our sleeping bags early.