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.