{"id":651,"date":"2012-09-09T20:43:33","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T20:43:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/?p=651"},"modified":"2012-09-09T20:43:33","modified_gmt":"2012-09-09T20:43:33","slug":"rv-pacific-northwest-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/?p=651","title":{"rendered":"R\/V Pacific Northwest Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day one: Grand Haven,MI to Island Resort and Campground<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

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Today is the start of our Northwest trip in the RV leaving from Grand Haven,MI. \u00a0We are taking a month break from our travels on the water to see part of the United States by land. We hope to make it all the way to Seattle before turning around. \u00a0Our first stop is Petoskey,MI where we purchase a new tire for one of our bikes. \u00a0From there we continue across the Mackinac Bridge to Highway 2. \u00a0We will follow HWY 2 for almost all of our westward journey. \u00a0 We stop tonight at a nice campground just behind the Island Resort Casino, still in Michigan. \n\t\t
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Miles Today: 417<\/div>\n
Total Miles:417<\/div>\n
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Day Two: Island Resort to Pokegama Army Corp Campground<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Continuing on Highway 2, we make a lunch stop in Duluth. \u00a0The Northern Waters Smokehouse was highly recommended. Here we enjoy a great smoked salmon sandwich and a buffalo pastrami sandwich. \u00a0Downtown Duluth is very busy with lots of shops and restaurants. \u00a0Just outside of Grand Rapids we stop for the evening at Pokegama Campground which is run by the Army Corp. Of Engineers. The Pokegama Dam is 220 miles from the source of the Mississippi and 1197 miles from its mouth in the Gulf. We can now add the Minnesota sticker to our states visited on our travel map. \n\t\t
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Miles Today:371<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 788<\/div>\n
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Day 3: Pokegama to Theodore Roosevelt National Park<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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It is raining this morning as we continue on HWY 2. \u00a060 miles west of Pokegama we stop for breakfast in the town of Bemedji, MN. \u00a0This town is the home to The Paul Bunyan legend. \u00a0We have \u00a0a great flapjack breakfast at the Minnesota Nice Cafe. \u00a0A few hours later we cross the Red River of the North and enter North Dakota. \u00a0The Great Plains are blanketed with corn,wheat, and sunflowers. \u00a0We make a brief stop in Rugby,ND for a photo at the geographical center of North America. \u00a0All day we have been seeing a strange little creature crawling across the roads. \u00a0We finally did a Google search and learned that they are Tiger Salamanders. \u00a0In Minot, ND, we detoured south off of Hwy 2 to avoid road construction and also to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park. \u00a0Boy was this a bad choice. \u00a0Hwy 23 is the worst! \u00a0It is completely tore up for miles and miles, nothing but black sticky clay. \u00a0Plus the amount of truck traffic due to the natural gas fracking is tremendous. \u00a0We won’t come this way again! It was a long day and we are relieved to finally reach Juniper Camp ground in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The RV is now filthy.<\/div>\n
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Miles Today:537<\/div>\n
Total Miles:1325<\/div>\n
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Day 4: Juniper Campground to Cottonwood Campground<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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After a beautiful night at the northern unit of Theodore Roosevelt Park, we headed 80 miles south to the main park entrance just outside of Medora. \u00a0Here we found a campsite in the Cottonwood Campground. \u00a0This afternoon we rode the bikes along the scenic loop drive. \u00a0We had hoped to do the entire 36 mile loop but quickly realized our legs would never make the entire distance. \u00a0They don’t call this area The Badlands for no reason. \u00a0These hills are steep. \u00a0We did have a good 12 mile ride through the park seeing wild horses, prairie dogs, and deer. \u00a0The only buffalo we saw were a good distance away. \u00a0There are over 400 buffalo in the park and we did see a lot of evidence that they are around. \u00a0We attended a ranger program on the National Parks this evening. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today:87<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 1412<\/div>\n
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Day 5: Theodore Roosevelt Park to Havre,MT<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Before leaving this morning, we stopped in at the Ranger Station so Jeff could receive his junior ranger badge. \u00a0The Ranger checked his workbook before giving him the Ranger Oath. He now has four Junior Ranger Badges in his collection. \u00a0We continued west on I-94 to the Montana Border. From there we headed north on Hwy 200S towards Circle. \u00a0We eventually made our way back to HWY 2. \u00a0Unlike the other day, today’s roads were all good and it was a nice trip through the Grass lands. \u00a0Tonight we are at the RV Park for the County Fairgrounds in Havre. \u00a0We found a great steakhouse in town called Uncle Joes. \u00a0The steaks were some of the best we have had. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today:385<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 1797<\/div>\n
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Day 6: Havre, MT to Glacier National Park<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Today we continued on Hwy 2 through the beautiful plains of Montana. \u00a0We stopped for a photo in Cut Bank which is supposedly the coldest place in the U.S. \u00a0Just west of Cut Bank, the mountains of Glacier seem to rise right out of the prairie grasslands. We were very lucky to find a camping spot in the Two Medicine Campground 12 miles northwest of East Glacier. \u00a0These spots are all first come. \u00a0It is still early in the day and almost all the spots have been taken. \u00a0 This afternoon we have a nice hike around the lake. \u00a0Unfortunately Sebastian can’t join us as dogs are not allowed on the trails, too many bears in this part of the country. \u00a0This is one of the most beautiful of the National Parks that we have visited. \u00a0The mountains are spectacular. \u00a0Our campsite at 5500 feet is located in a perfect spot just across from Two Medicine Lake. \u00a0We enjoy a nice Ranger talk this evening on Marmots and Picas.<\/div>\n
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Total miles Today:186<\/div>\n
TotalMiles: 1983<\/div>\n
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Day 7: \u00a0Glacier National Park: \u00a0Two Medicine Campground<\/strong><\/div>\n
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We have decided to spend one more day in this wonderful remote spot. \u00a0We had planned on moving over to Glacier’s West entrance today but quickly changed our minds after just a few hours here at Two Medicine Campground. \u00a0This is one of the more remote campgrounds in the park and it offers several great hiking opportunities as well as kayaking in the beautiful clear glacier fed lake. \u00a0We opt for a six mile hike up to one of the surrounding mountain peaks. \u00a0It is a beautiful day with not a cloud in the sky. \u00a0As we hike up through the rocky scree, we scan the stream down below for any signs of Grizzly bears. \u00a0We never do see any but keep our bear spray ready just in case. \u00a0We have a good climb of 2200 feet to the summit. \u00a0From there we have some fantastic views of the jagged mountain peaks of Glacier National Park. \u00a0This afternoon Jeff stops in the Ranger Station and proudly collects his 5th Junior Ranger Badge. \u00a0This evening we are entertained for several hours as two black bears appear just partway up the mountain at the foot of our campsite. \u00a0We watch them grazing on berries for several hours. \n\t\t
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Day 8: Two Medicine Campground to Apgar Campground<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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When we awoke this morning, one of the black bears was still feeding on the mountainside. \u00a0His belly must be popping as it does not appear he has slowed down since last night. \u00a0Sadly we pack up and make our way towards the park headquarters at West Glacier and Apgar Campground. \u00a0We are again lucky to find an open campsite. \u00a0This area is so much more commercialized and crowded than that of Two Medicine. \u00a0This afternoon we hop on the free National Park shuttle system which takes us on the Going To The Sun Road. \u00a0Vehicles over 21 feet are not allowed on this narrow winding mountain road. \u00a0We travel this incredible vertiginous road 21 miles to Logan Pass. This pass intersects the Continental Divide at 6500 feet. \u00a0Here we see our first mountain goat of the trip and attend a lecture of the disappearing glaciers. \u00a0The park service now estimates that the remaining 25 glaciers here in the park will be completely gone by 2020. \u00a0 On our return shuttle trip, we meet a New Zealand couple touring the us in their RV for six months. We enjoy sharing with them info about the US and places to visit during their short time here. We hope to maybe see them again in Chattanooga. \n\t\t
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Total miles Today: 71<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2054<\/div>\n
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Day 9: Glacier National Park to Priest River, Idaho<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Before leaving this morning, we hop on the bikes for a ten mile ride around the park. \u00a0We bike out to the Fish Creek campground. \u00a0This campground is by \u00a0reservation only. \u00a0Although it is much quieter than Apgar, it is three miles from the village and shuttle system. \u00a0We are happy with our choice of Apgar. Glacier National Park is on of our Nations treasures and we will be back again to spend more time here. \u00a0Today we continue our westward drive on HWY 2. \u00a0Before entering Idaho, we cross the Continental Divide at Maria’s Pass, elevation 5216 ft. \u00a0This section of highway is beautiful with many small clear blue lakes and mountain vistas. \u00a0We are pleasantly surprised with the lack of traffic on this section of HWY. \u00a0This afternoon we stop at an Army Corp. of Engineer campground along the Priest River. \u00a0We were fortunate to take the last spot available. This evening we enjoy a peaceful dinner finishing with a piece of Huckleberry Pie that we had purchased earlier in the day at the Huckleberry Patch. \u00a0It was delicious! \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 230<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2284<\/div>\n
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Day 10 Priest River to Leavenworth,WA<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Continuing west along HWY 2, our first stop today was in Spokane, WA. \u00a0We have two stops here. \u00a0One is to pick up our mail but more importantly is a stop at Franks Dinner. \u00a0Our Road Food book highly recommended this dinner for breakfast and it was right on. \u00a0Franks is located in a reconditioned railroad passenger car. \u00a0It has been voted as the best breakfast spot in Spokane for the last 14 years. \u00a0My lobster and crab omelet was outstanding as was Jeff’s Eggs Benedict, also with lobster and crab. \u00a0From there we continued through the rolling farmlands that lie to the east of the Cascades. Traveling through the Wentachee Valley region, we passed many apple and pear orchards. \u00a0This area is responsible for about 1\/2 the nations crop. \u00a0Our stop for this evening is in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, sitting in the eastern foothills of the Cascades. \u00a0We are camped at Alpine View Resort nestled in the mountains just outside of town. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today:234<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2518<\/div>\n
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Day 11: Leavenworth, WA:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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We decided to make today a non travel day and spend it here exploring Leavenworth. \u00a0This morning Sebastian enjoyed a nice 4 mile hike climbing up one of the mountain sides. \u00a0This area also has many wineries, one of which is just across from our campground. \u00a0We spent the afternoon exploring the Bavarian town. \u00a0The recreated Alpine village draws a multitude of visitors and today was no exception. \u00a0The many German restaurants and shops are packed with tourists. We have a nice lunch at a local beer garden, The Munchen House. \u00a0We also find a great cheese shop where we buy some local cheese and wine. \u00a0Our next stop was at a cured meat shop where we came away with several \u00a0specialty meats and sausages. \u00a0Along with some fresh bread from the bakery, we have a great evening meal with our purchases. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today:0<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2518<\/div>\n
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Day 12: Leavenworth to Anacortes<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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We again continued along HWY 2 through the Cascade Mountain Range. \u00a0It is a beautiful drive as we followed the Wentachee River as it meanders \u00a0through the mountains. \u00a0The river is a popular destination for guided raft trips on the swift class three rapids. \u00a0Once atop Stephens Pass, we had a very LONG and nail bitting descent into the town of Everett. \u00a0These are some tall mountains! Although our RV and driver handle the passes very well, the passenger seat is white knuckled on these long descents. \u00a0Everett marks the end of our cross country travels along HWY 2. \u00a0From here we pick up I-5 into Anacortes,WA which is on Fidalgo Island just 50 miles north of Seattle. \u00a0Washington County Park situated on the Pacific Ocean and within a stones throw of the San Juan Islands will be our home for the next week. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 154<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2672<\/div>\n
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Day 13 to 19: Anacortes,WA<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Washington Park has been our home for the past week. \u00a0We decided to rent a car here and use Anacortes as a base while we explore some of the surrounding areas. \u00a0One reason for visiting Anacortes is to check out the marina facilities in the area with the hopes of one day being able to cruise these waters aboard our own boat, Idyll Time. \u00a0We were able to tour several marinas and storage facilities around the area. \u00a0Anacortes seems to be the perfect spot to base our cruising. \u00a0Seattle is only one hour to the south of here with good airline connections. \u00a0This area would make a great jumping off point for cruising the San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island, and Alaska. \u00a0Plus there are great marine facilities here in Anacortes. \u00a0At some point in the future, we will be cruising these waters. \u00a0 After several days in Anacortes, we head south down to Seattle in the rental car to say hello to the west coast Krogen staff. It was great to see everyone and also meet several Krogen owners here on the west coast. \u00a0Two new Krogen 52’s were at the docks being commissioned. The Krogen staff quickly volunteered to give us a tour of these fine new boats. Wow! \u00a0Krogen has really nailed it with new 52. \u00a0 Along with lots of beneficial information for cruising this area, we both came away daydreaming of living aboard this new yacht. Several enjoyable days were spent touring the San Juan Islands by bicycle. \u00a0The Washington State Ferry System is located just 2 miles from our RV campground. Your couldn’t ask for an easier way to visit the islands. \u00a0A 30 mile tour of Lopez Island quickly reveals itself to be our favorite biking destination. \u00a0Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island, shows us a different side of the islands with lots of tourists. \u00a0We quickly peddle out of town into rolling hay fields with magnificent views of Straits of Juan Del Fuca. \u00a0Another 30 miles later and we are back on the ferry to Anacortes. \u00a0These Washington Ferries make visiting the islands incredibly easy. \u00a0Another day found us heading north to the town of Bellingham where we checked out more marinas and also met more Krogen owners. \u00a0The past week has been very educational and productive for us. \u00a0We will be returning here in either our RV or boat in the next few years. \u00a0This seems like a place we could call home. \n\t\t
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Day 20: Anacortes, WA to North Cascades National Park<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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\u00a0Today marks the beginning \u00a0of our return trip East. \u00a0We get a somewhat late start as we first have to return the rental car and then make a necessary stop to fill our propane tank. \u00a0We have decided to travel HWY 20 which is also know as The North Cascades Scenic Byway. \u00a0This is part of the Northern Cascades Loop Which winds through the rugged northern Cascade Mountains just a few miles south of the Canadian border. \u00a0Reaching the Skagit Valley,just a few miles outside of Anacortes, we make our first stop at a local blueberry farm for fresh picked, 5 minutes ago, blueberries and the best blueberry smoothly I have ever tasted. \u00a0Winding our way up the valley, we parallel the glacier fed Skagit River to North Cascades National Park. \u00a0The beauty of this area makes us quickly decide to shorten our travel day and grab a campsite at the Newhalem Creek Campground for the night. \u00a0After hiking several trails through the towering Cedar and Douglas Fir Forrest, we end up at the park headquarters where Jeff proudly earns his sixth Junior Ranger Badge. We enjoy a great evening camped inside the National Park within earshot of the Skagit River. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 78<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 2750<\/div>\n
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Day 21: North Cascades National Park to Priest River, Idaho<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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We continued our travels today along the North Cascades Scenic Highway 20 which is also known as the North American Alps. \u00a0It is a roller coaster ride all day as we travel through the steep mountain range filled with jagged peaks, cascading waterfalls, numerous mountain lakes, and beautiful vistas. \u00a0Due to snowfall, this road is closed from late November to late April each year. \u00a0Coming to our first mountain pass, Rainy Pass at 4700 ft., we make a brief stop at the Pacific Crest Trailhead which crosses HWY 20. \u00a0Next is Washington Pass at 5477 feet. \u00a0Here we take a short hike along one of the trails to a stunning mountain vista of the towering rocky spires. After another 4000 foot descent, we again make a long climb through the Okanogan National Forrest to Sherman Pass at 5575 feet. \u00a0From there it is all down hill. \u00a0Just after crossing the boarder into Idaho, we stop for the evening at Priest River. \u00a0We had stopped at this same Army Corp Campground several weeks ago as we were heading west. \u00a0 Today’s drive along Highway 20 is one of the best we have experienced on our trip. \u00a0The views of The Northern Cascades are magnificent and we experienced very little traffic on this remote route. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 329<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 3079<\/div>\n
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Day 22: Priest River to Yellowstone<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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For today’s route we continued on HWY 2 to the town of Sandport where we joined HWY 200. \u00a0We had thought that the scenery of yesterday’s drive could not be matched, but we were wrong, it was today. \u00a0The drive on 200 following the Pen Oreille River through Idaho and Northern Montana along the valley floor with mountains towering on both sides is a wonderful scenic route. \u00a0We follow this to I-90 to begin our high speed drive east to Yellowstone National Park, passing through the the towns of Missoula and Butte. \u00a0In Butte we stop for lunch at Matt’s Dinner. Matt’s hamburger joint is listed as a must stop in our road food \u00a0book. \u00a0Started in 1930, it is believed to be one of the first drive-in hamburger restaurants in the state of Montana. \u00a0It is now listed on the National Register of Historic places. \u00a0We had burgers, a pork chop sandwich, fries, and a chocolate shake. \u00a0The burgers were excellent but the fries were even better. \u00a0From Butte we continue on I-90 for a short distance to HWY 298 which takes us into the West entrance of Yellowstone. \u00a0It is dark by the time we arrive at the Madison Campground inside the park. \u00a0It was a long but beautiful day of driving.<\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today:490<\/div>\n
Total Mile: 3569<\/div>\n
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Day 23: Yellowstone<\/strong><\/div>\n
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Today we have a leisure drive through the park to our next campsite at Mammoth Hot Springs. \u00a0After securing one of the first come first serve campsites, we hike back to the Ranger Station and then tour some of the thermal hot springs. The elk are migrating through this area and we see several grazing along the campground. \u00a0From our campsite, we have a scenic view of the Mt. Everts Range (7841 ft.). \u00a0We are camped at 6200 feet. Around dusk, we were treated with the sighting of a herd of elk as they moved through the campground. Sometime during the night, we also here their hoof beats on the road next to our campsite along with the male’s bugle call. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today:35<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 3604<\/div>\n
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Day 24: Yellowstone: Mammoth Hot Springs to Canyon Village Campground<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Today we migrated through the park in search of wildlife. \u00a0We found a large herd of bison as they were crossing the road. \u00a0Traffic was at a standstill while they took their time meandering up the hillside. \u00a0We didn’t dare get out of the vehicle as the bulls seemed very agitated. \u00a0We enjoyed a spectacular driver over Dunraven Pass at 8859 feet. \u00a0The Pine Forrest in this area have been severely burned. \u00a0After securing a campsite at Canyon Village, we headed down to the visitor center where Jeff collected yet another Junior Ranger Badge. \u00a0He is now up to seven. \u00a0This afternoon was spent on a hike along the North Rim of The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. \u00a0The upper and lower falls exemplify the grandeur of Americas first National Park. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 40<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 3644<\/div>\n
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Day 25: Yellowstone to Lander, WY<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
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Driving through the park today we saw hundreds of Bison in Hayden Valley. \u00a0Traffic was at a standstill as they took their time crossing the road. \u00a0The Mud Pots showed yet another side of the park with their bubbling and stemming pools. \u00a0After traveling around the vast lake area, we exited the park through the South Gate and into The Grand Tetons. \u00a0Their view today was somewhat obscured by the smoke from various forrest fires raging in California and Idaho. \u00a0 Back on HWY 26, we again crossed the Continental Divide at 9644 ft. Togwotee Pass and then winded our way along the Wind River through the multicolored badlands surrounding the town of Dubois. Tonight we are camped at the free city park campground of Lander,WY. \u00a0Sebastian insisted we stop at the local ice-cream store on our walk into town. \u00a0This evening we got the bikes down for a 15 mile ride to Sinks Canyon State Park. \u00a0We had a great but hard ride climbing 1500 feet into the canyon, but it was all down hill back to our campsite. \n\t\t
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Total Miles Today: 209<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 3853<\/div>\n
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Day 26: Lander,WY to Cheyenne,WY<\/strong><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t \t\n \"rich-and-gail\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n Leaving Lander on HWY 26, we soon connected with HWY 287 South. \u00a0 Driving through the Wyoming plains, we saw lots of pronghorn (antelope) feeding amongst the sagebrush, which stretches for miles in all directions. \u00a0In Rawlings we hoped on I-80 East. \u00a0We passed a horrific accident in which a truck towing a horse trailer was flipped over on its side. \u00a0Hay and personal belongings were strewn all over the road. \u00a0The horse trailer was still laying on its side. \u00a0If there were any horses inside, there is no way they could still be alive. \u00a0Our stop for the next few nights is Curt Gowdy State Park, 30 miles west of Cheyenne. Here we meet up with Jeff’s FBI partner of 25 years ago, Rich and his wife Gail. \u00a0It is great catching up with them after all these years. \u00a0This evening, Rich and Gail cook us a great dinner of Antelope and Bison steaks. \n\t\t
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\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Total Miles Today: 250<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 4103<\/div>\n
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Day 27: Curt Gowdy State Park:<\/strong><\/div>\n
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We spend an enjoyable day with Rich, Gail, and their chocolate lab, Bailey. \u00a0We first inflate the kayaks for a nice paddle along the lake. \u00a0This afternoon we enjoy a good 5 mile hike along some of the trails. \u00a0Both Sebastian and Bailey get to hike with us. \u00a0Sebastian likes the hike but is unsure around the high energy Bailey. \u00a0We are surprised this afternoon with the sounds of cows. \u00a0Just over the hill from our campsite, we watch as a cattle drive moves through the area. \u00a0During our time here we are also visited by various groups of mule deer. \u00a0We have really enjoyed our stay here at the State Park. \u00a0There are many hiking and Mtn. Bike trails for exploration. \u00a0We hope to return here someday. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0338\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today:0<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 4103<\/div>\n
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Day 28: Curt Gowdy to Custer, SD<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
We spend a few enjoyable hours this morning over coffee with Rich and Gail before getting underway. \u00a0It was great spending the last few days with them. \u00a0Just outside of Cheyenne we hop of the interstate and onto HWY 85 through Torrington. \u00a0Our stop for tonight is the Flintstone Campground just one mile outside Custer, SD. \u00a0From here we are able to pick up the Mickelson Bike Trail for a ride into town. \u00a0This old railroad trail goes for over 100 miles. \u00a0While in town, we pick up some bison and elk burgers at a local restaurant and bring them back to the RV for dinner.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Total Miles Today: 275<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 4378<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Day 29: Custer,SD to Adrian,MN<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Before leaving Custer this morning, we made a stop at the local grocery and stocked our freezer with bison burgers and steaks. From there it was a 13 mile drive to Mt. Rushmore . \u00a0We took a brief tour here before continuing on to Rapid City. \u00a0It is already 90 degrees so we didn’t want to leave the animals in the vehicle for too long. \u00a0Our trip on I90 through the grasslands is HOT-109 degrees. \u00a0We stop for the evening at the Adrian County Park. \u00a0It is a very nice park with plenty of open spaces available. \u00a0Plus they have electric so we can plug in and us the much needed A\/C. \u00a0We have a wonderful dinner just across the street at the Country Village Steak House. \u00a0It looks to be the only restaurant around and we are the only customers inside. \u00a0Both Jeff’s steak and my walleye dinner are awesome, one of the best dinners we have had on the trip, plus it was very inexpensive. \u00a0Adrian is a great stop all around. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0355\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today: 428<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 4806<\/div>\n
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Day 30: \u00a0Adrian, MN to Alberta Lea,MN<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
We have a short trip this morning of 140 miles through the country roads as we travel through the cornfields to Forrest City, Iowa. \u00a0The Winnebago factory is located here and they offer free factory tours twice a day. \u00a0We enjoy seeing where Miss Daisy was born on this two hour tour. \u00a0It is another record hot day so we continue on in search of a campground with power.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Tonight we are camped just 30 miles from the Winnebago Factory in the Myre-Big Island State Park. \u00a0The park encompasses 1596 acres along the Albert Lea Lake. \u00a0There looks to be many hiking and biking trails. \u00a0Supposedly the lake offers good fishing of pike. \u00a0We would like to get the bikes out for an exploration ride but it is just too hot. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"winnebago\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today:189<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 4995<\/div>\n
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Day 31: Albert Lea, MN to Wild Rose, WI<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Well, I made a major goof.\u00a0 Our mail drop was in Forest City and I completely forgot about it while there. \u00a0So, today we are retracing our steps the 35 miles back into town to pick up the mail. \u00a0At least it is only 30 miles.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Our trip today takes us east bound on I-90. \u00a0During one of our fuel stops we find a great Amish bakery next door. Here we load up on homemade bread and a fresh blueberry pie. \u00a0We cross the Mississippi River just before the Wisconsin boarder. \u00a0Being Labor Day Weekend, our search for a campsite tonight is difficult. \u00a0All of the state parks are completely full. \u00a0I finally locate a campground along a county road five miles outside the small town of Wild Rose, WI. They do have space tonight and also an all you can eat fish fry. Not sure what we will find, we weave our way through County Road,A ,B, and Q. \u00a0It is a beautiful drive through the cornfields to the Oakwood Camp and Supperclub. The campground turns out \u00a0to be pretty nice with most sites permanently \u00a0 occupied by mobile homes. \u00a0We work off some calories before dinner with a nice bike ride along some of the back roads. \u00a0This area has fish camp after fish camp along the many small lakes. \u00a0Dinner tonight is the fish fry and at $9.95 they most certainly lost money on Jeff. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"dsc_0329\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today 335<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 5330<\/div>\n
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Day 32: Wild Rose, WI to St. Ignace,MI<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Our rout today takes us through Green Bay and then along HWY 41 to Marinete where we make a stop at the Seguin Cheese Shop. \u00a0It was a good find and we loaded up our refrigerator with Wisconsin cheese. We eventually connect with HWY 2 which was the HWY we took all the way west to Seattle in the beginning of this trip. We have traveled this route several times now so everything looks familiar. \u00a0Lake Michigan is tranquil today and looks very inviting. \u00a0Our stop for tonight is the Straits State Park in St. Ignace. \u00a0We were luck to get the last available campsite. \u00a0With 275 sites this park is a little crowded for our liking but it makes for a good stopping point along our route.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Total Miles Today:345<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 5675<\/div>\n
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Day 33: St. Ignace to Grand Haven, MI<\/strong>:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Driving across the mighty Mackinac Bridge is both spectacular and high anxiety, as always. \u00a0Back on I-75 we detour to M32 in Gaylord so that we can visit one of our favorite towns, Leland. \u00a0 This little town also known as “Fish Town”,on the shores of Lake Michigan is a popular tourist destination. \u00a0Our first stop is to the local cheese shop for some of their famous pretzel sandwiches. \u00a0Being a holiday weekend and also lunch time, the line is out the door. Our next stop is the local fish market. \u00a0We stock up on their great smoked fish and beef jerky. \u00a0From Leland it is a 3 hour drive along the shores of the lake to our home away, North Shore Marina in Grand Haven. \u00a0Here we find Idyll Time patiently awaiting our return. \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"sebastian\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Time to go boating again!<\/div>\n
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Total Miles Today: 321<\/div>\n
Total \u00a0Miles: 5996<\/div>\n
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Trip Totals:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Total days: 33<\/div>\n
Total Miles: 5996<\/div>\n
Fuel cost: $1460.29<\/div>\n
Total Gallons Diesel: 365 \n\t\t
\n\t\t\t \t\n \"DSC04716\"\n\n \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day one: Grand Haven,MI to Island Resort and Campground: \u00a0 Today is the start of our Northwest trip ...<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=651"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":684,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651\/revisions\/684"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.idylltime.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}