Greenbelt Park, MD

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

It rained over night and for a while this morning.  Once it stopped we hit the road, moving further south, to Greenbelt Park in Maryland.  I’ll never get used to these metro multi-lane highways.  Give me the rural four-lane interstates!  But it was a beautiful fall-colored tree-lined drive, so that helps.

Colorful Drive

Colorful Drive

Greenbelt Park is part of the National Park Service so with Bernie’s National Park Golden Age pass we can dry camp here for only $8 per night.  We paid for four nights.  That should give us enough time to visit Washington DC again, which is only 12 miles south.

We have a very nice spot in the park and have seen several white-tailed deer beside our RV already.

Greenbelt Park, #151

Greenbelt Park, #151

White-tailed deer

White-tailed Deer

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging Expense:   $8

 

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Elkton, MD

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Driving the rest of the way around New York City and then down the New Jersey Turnpike and across the Delaware Memorial Bridge, a total of about only 150 miles, seemed like a lot longer drive than it really was.  A car would have been better, but driving this 35′ rig with a car in tow just added to the anxiety and brought our blood pressure up a tad. There are so many people in the Northeast, so many cars on the roads.

The toll to cross just the bridge was $20.

Delaware Memorial Bridge

Delaware Memorial Bridge

We didn’t have any problems but had enough of the driving and parked at the Walmart in Elkton, Maryland, in early afternoon.  It’s a beautiful sunny day, high of 66 degrees. Should be a warm 44 degrees tonight.  We’ll move on tomorrow.

  • Gasoline Expense:  $150 @ $3.18/gallon
  • Lodging Expense:   none
Posted in Daily Post, Maryland, New Jersey, October | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Go South Now!

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Yes, we are hardy Minnesotans but the main reason we purchased the RV and became full-time RVers was so we could escape the winters. While the days are nice the nights are getting cold and we’re getting anxious to go where it’s warm. The frost on the windows is telling us to go south now!

Go South Now!

Go South Now!

One year ago tomorrow Hurricane Sandy severely affected this area.  And two years ago this week a major winter storm severely affected this area.  So off we go.

Our plan was to get around New York City in between the morning rush hour and the evening rush hour.  But by the time we got going the day was half gone.  We made it to Riverdale, New Jersey.  Traffic was intense but it kept moving.  We’ll continue on tomorrow morning.

  • Gasoline Expense:  $100 @ $3.599/gallon
  • Lodging Expense:   none
Posted in Connecticut, Daily Post, New Jersey, New York, October | Leave a comment

Family Time

Posted on October 27, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Saturday morning we find frost on the windshield!  We really need to get ourselves south!

Frost on the Windshield!

Frost on the Windshield!

But before we go south we want to spend some time with family.  It’s why we are here.  We picked up our daughter, Teresa, and made the 4 hour drive back up north to Concord, New Hampshire, so all of us could be together again, something that just doesn’t happen often enough.  The five of us went to the Beech Hill Farmstand and Ice Cream Barn a few miles west of Concord.  We all enjoyed the animals, and a corn maze.

Goats

Goats

Cows

Cows

And then posing for a family photo.

The Happy Family

Teresa, Bernie, Marsha, Danielle, Duckie and Eric

Saturday we are back in New Haven, CT.  We took Teresa to Bishop’s Orchards Farm Market to meet up with her friends.  It was another fun day of fall activities.

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Teresa with her Friends

New Haven, CT

New Haven, CT

While Teresa went for a run Bernie and I hiked up to the top of East Rock Park.  Beautiful views of New Haven and the surrounding area.

View From East Rock Park in New Haven, CT

View From East Rock Park in New Haven, CT

Also at the top of the hill is the Soldiers and Sailors Monument which honors the residents of New Haven who gave their lives in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War and the Civil War.

Sailor's and Soldiers

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument

On our way home we stopped for a moment to enjoy the sunset.

Sunset Over Long Island Sound

Sunset Over Long Island Sound

  • Gasoline Expense:  $50
  • Lodging Expense:  $43.60

 

Posted in Connecticut, Daily Post, New Hampshire, October | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Little Move

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

We are in need of water and propane so we have decided to find an RV park. That is a challenge this time of year as most have closed for the season. But there are a few. Aces High RV Park is one that is open year round. We stayed here last year so that’s where we will be for the next two nights.

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Still seeing those pretty fall colors.

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging Expense:   $43.60
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Mohegan Sun Casino

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

It’s getting cold.  Nights are on the verge of freezing.  We have moved three hours south, where it might be a few degrees warmer, to the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut. They have a very large RV parking lot where we can park for free for a few days.  A free shuttle circulates every 20 minutes 24/7 through all the parking lots.  This is where we rode out Hurricane Sandy last year.  You can read that story HERE

Mohegan Sun Casino

Mohegan Sun Casino

This is one of the largest casinos in the country and my favorite.  It’s huge.  Really three large casinos linked by a shopping center with 75 shops, a 10,000 seat arena, numerous restaurants and lounges.  Love the giant color changing glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly.

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River Blue by Dale Chihuly

We’re hoping the weather will warm up and we can spend more time with the kids.  Most of the RV parks here are closed for the season.  There are a very few that are still open, expensive, but we will look into it.

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Concord, NH

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

It was a cold night but we did not see any frost on the ground.  We put on our coats and went for a morning walk around the campground.  There is a very nice sandy beach here that has been closed for the season, but it still had a beautiful view.

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French Pond, Beach at Mile-Away Campground

About a mile from here is a covered bridge we went to look at.  There are only two covered bridges in all of Minnesota but there are several in New Hampshire. I think that they are very interesting so we went to see this one.

Rowell Bridge

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, NH, 1853

Rowell Bridge

Rowell Bridge, Hopkinton, New Hampshire

We’ve been in Concord, NH, last year and the year before so no need to retrace our steps.  But we did walk up and down Main Street and past the State Capitol Building.

State Capitol Building, Concord, NH

State Capitol Building, Concord, NH

Concord, NH

Concord, NH

After a bit of shopping we met the kids for supper and a movie at their place.  We’ll see them again tomorrow.

 

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New Hampshire

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

We continued our journey to Concord, New Hampshire this morning.  The fall coloring makes it for a pretty drive all the way.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire

Most RV parks and campgrounds close for the season here around October 15.  But we did manage to find one that was still open yet, Mile-Away Campground.  It’s about 16 miles west of where our son lives.

Mile-Away Campground, #33

Mile-Away Campground, #33

It was so good to see the kids again, it’s been a very long time.  We went to Olive Garden for supper and then had a good visit.  We’ll see them again tomorrow.

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging Expense:   $17.50 (Passport America discounted rate)

 

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Albany, NY

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

My friend, Cindy, met us this morning and after a delicious lunch at The Cheesecake Factory drove us to Albany, the New York State Capital, to have a look around.  It’s Saturday and the capitol building was closed, all locked up, and we could not get inside.  A shame, since it is supposed to be quite spectacular inside.  Tours are available Monday through Friday.

New York State Capitol Building in Albany

New York State Capitol Building in Albany

View from New York State Capitol Building in Albany

View from New York State Capitol Building in Albany

We spent some time wandering around the capital complex.  It’s quite a mix of old and new architecture.  The Egg, the performing arts center, stands out in the Empire State Plaza just a block over from the capitol building.

The Egg

The Egg

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Statue of General Sheridan

It was great seeing Cindy again, and was a fun day.  She drove us back to our RV and then we drove east towards our destination of New Hampshire until it started getting dark.  The fall coloring is just past its peak but it was still a very beautiful drive.  The days are getting shorter.  Driving in the dark with this big rig is never fun and not a good idea.  We got only as far as Chicopee, Massachusetts, where we will stay the night.

I-90 in Massachusetts

I-90 in Massachusetts

  • Gasoline Expense:  $100
  • Lodging Expense:   none
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Richmond Aqueduct

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Opened in 1828 the Cayuga Seneca Canal extended navigation of the Erie Canal to the Finger Lakes.  The Richmond Aqueduct built in 1849 is second largest aqueduct lifting and bridging Erie Canal waters over the top of the Seneca river to the Finger Lakes.

We found the trail to the aqueduct and then walked along the towpath that served as the walking path for mules, horses, and their drivers to pull the boats.  The aqueduct was mostly dismantled in 1917 to make way for barge traffic on the Seneca river.

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Richmond Aqueduct Remains

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Remains of Richmond Aqueduct and the Towpath

After our morning hike to the Aqueduct we hit the road again and tonight we are in Glendale, a small community near Schenectady, New York.

The full moon is right outside our window and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take its picture.

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Full Moon

  • Gasoline Expense:  $75
  • Lodging Expense:  none

 

Posted in Daily Post, New York, October | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

End of the World 2014

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Very near the campground we were staying is the Second Coming House of Prophet Isaiah. Apparently the world is going to end (again) in 2014.  According to Prophet Isaiah Henry Robertson he has been directed by God to decorate his house to become a beacon to catch people’s attention so they can be saved.  Every person on earth will fly down the street in front of his house and those that accept Christ as their Lord will be saved.  Those that do not believe will tumble into Niagara Falls which will have been turned into the Lake of Fire.

Second Coming House of Prophet Isaiah, NiagaraFalls, NY

Second Coming House of Prophet Isaiah, Niagara Falls, NY

So now you know, it will be in Niagara Falls, New York.

Moving on, we are now in the Finger Lakes area of New York State.  We parked the RV in a truck stop lot and took the Jeep for a scenic drive.

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Cayuga Lake

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What Kind of Bird is This?

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Seagulls Hangin’ Out

Sunset on a Finger Lake

Sunset at Cayuga Lake

As soon as the sun went down the rain began and it hasn’t stopped, so we will just stay here in the truck stop lot tonight and not bother looking for a campground or a Walmart.  It’s good, they have a separate parking lot just for RV’s.

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging Expense:   none

 

Posted in Daily Post, New York, October | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Niagara Falls

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

New York has Text Stops.  Cool.  I hope they make a difference.

Text Stop

Text Stop

After stopping for a nice lunch with a friend from Bernie’s (former) work we found a RV park and then made our way to see Niagara Falls.  It was very cloudy and windy and rain was on the way.

American Falls

American Falls

We walked around the American side and took several pictures.  There was some construction going on so not all areas were accessible.  And then it started to rain so we found shelter in a shopping center until it passed.

The falls are best viewed from Canada so we walked across the Rainbow Bridge to Canada. No problems getting through Customs. The Canada side has outdone the American side with its well-groomed park and plaza with restaurants and shops leading from the bridge to a big Visitor Center by Horseshoe Falls.

Canada

Canada

Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls

We waited for the sun to set when the falls are lit up with colored lights.  Cool.

American Falls

American Falls

Niagara Falls Lights

Niagara Falls Lights

Walking across the bridge to Canada was free, but to get BACK into the United States we had to pay 50 cents each. This caught us off guard.  Good thing we had some money with us or we would have been begging on the streets.

 

Pay Toll

Pay Toll

  • Gasoline Expense:  None
  • Lodging Expense:  $47.70

 

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Dunkirk, NY

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

It’s been a cool cloudy day.  No rain, but I hear that it is on the way, maybe tonight or tomorrow.

We drove 300 miles along I-80, through Ohio, the Northwest corner of Pennsylvania, and into New York State to Dunkirk, which is just south of Buffalo and Niagara Falls, which we plan to visit next. We have been seeing trucks, lots of trucks, more trucks than cars.  And it was a little unnerving being passed by triples, something that we just don’t see in Minnesota but are seeing lots and lots of here.

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Being Passed by a Triple

The scenery has become colorful.  Not sure if it’s the peak of their fall colors here but it was sure pretty much of the time.

Fall Colors

Fall Colors along I-80 Ohio

  • Gasoline Expense:  $220.00 @ $3.329 and $3.229
  • Lodging Expense:  none
Posted in Daily Post, New York, October, Ohio, Pennsylvania | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

RV/MH Hall of Fame, Museum & Library

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

The RV and Motorhome Hall of Fame, Museum & Library in Elkhart, Indiana, is well worth a stop.  We spent a few hours here and enjoyed it tremendously.

RV/MH Hall of Fame

RV/MH Hall of Fame, Museum & Library

The first thing we saw was a big wall of photographs of old RVs.  These are not in the museum but the pictures were fascinating.

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1937 Detroit Aerocar

The museum holds 55 recreational vehicles built from 1910 through 2013.  Many are open so we could go in them but some of the really old ones were roped off.

RV/MH Hall of Fame

RV/MH Museum

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The Oldest Travel Trailer in the World, 1913 “Earl” Travel Trailer and Model “T” Ford

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1937 Hunt Housecar

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Star Streak ll, Custom Built in 1988

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1955 Ranger Crank-Up Tent Trailer

There are so many more wonderful old rigs, we loved looking at them all.  If you want to see more pictures check out their web site:  www.rvmhhalloffame.org

A note to remember for next time is that they said we are welcome to park overnight in their parking lot if we wanted to.  But we had a few hours of daylight left so we continued east on I-80 until we got to Ohio.  We are spending the night in the lot of a very large and very nice service plaza/visitor center.

  • Gasoline Expense:  $99.75 @ $3.359/gallon
  • Lodging Expense:  none
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Princeton, IL

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

The weather is changing, winter is at the doorstep.  We awoke this morning to find a small amount of frost on the ground.  It didn’t stay long, the sun came out and turned the day into a beautiful sunshiny day.

The only interesting stop we made today was at The World’s Largest Truckstop on I-80 at Walcott, Iowa.  There’s a lot going on there.  In addition to the usual truckstop facilities there is also a trucking museum, a chiropractor and a dentist and a movie theater, and more, even a pet wash.

The World's Largest Truck Stop

The World’s Largest Truckstop

After driving a total of 325 miles today we are stopped for the night at the Walmart in Princeton, Illinois.  It could be a cool night, there is a frost advisory.

Walmart Overnight

Walmart Overnight

 

Posted in Daily Post, Illinois, Iowa, October | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Here We Go Again

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Since we got back from Alaska we have been parked at the family farm.  We’ve spent the last few weeks taking care of business and catching up with family.

The Family Farm

The Family Farm

Fall is here and the weather will be changing soon.  It’s time for us to head out. Our plan is to get to Connecticut and New Hampshire where our children are and visit with them for a while before we go south for the winter.  We’ll be making a few stops along the way to see the country.

One of my pet peeves about our motor home was that there was a long window at the head of our bed.  On cold winter nights the radiant cold makes our heads cold so we have always kept insulation over it and the shades pulled.  This is not our emergency exit window, that one is on the other side.

Last year we purchased a portable solar panel [click here for that post].  It seemed like a good idea at the time but we have never felt comfortable with leaving it sit outside while we were gone for fear that it would walk off so we hardly ever used it.  So we decided to mount it on the side of the RV over those annoying bedroom windows.  They are hinged at the top and we can angle them towards the sun as needed.  Hopefully this will stay put. One of these days we plan to get larger solar panels and mount them on the roof.

Solar Panel

Solar Panel

So, all our business done and the solar panel mounted, we’re on the road again!  We had one stop to make before we leave…a small family gathering in Albert Lea, Minnesota.

Family

Some of the Family

After a good pot-luck dinner and some family time at Matt & Ellen’s new house we took off. There was still some daylight left so we decided to drive until it got dark, which really wasn’t very far.  We’re spending a night of free parking at Diamond Jo Casino in Iowa, and will be on our way in the morning.

  • Gasoline Expense:  none
  • Lodging Expense:  none
Posted in Daily Post, Iowa, Minnesota, October | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Minnesota

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

One more touristy stop before getting to Minnesota…  Mitchell, South Dakota, is home to the world’s only Corn Palace.  This unique American folk art icon was built in 1892 as a way for the early settlers to display their agricultural bounty to prove the fertility of the soil and to attract immigrant farmers to settle here.  They hold a festival every fall.  Unfortunately we missed the festival, but we saw the palace.

The Corn Palace

The Corn Palace

Each year a new decorating theme is chosen and the outside is stripped and redecorated with new corn and grains.  Inside, the hallways are lined with pictures of the palace from every years since it began.

Corn Palace

Corn Palace

This is a multi-use facility, hosting basketball games, stage shows, trade shows, and more.  The inside is also decorated with murals made of corn and grains.

The Corn Palace

The Corn Palace

Soon after leaving Mitchell we crossed the South Dakota/Minnesota border and we’re home!

One of the first icons to greet us here was the Jolly Green Giant in Blue Earth.  Green Giant brand peas and corn are canned here in BE.  This 55.5 foot tall giant is their symbol.  You see him on cans of Green Giant vegetables.

The Jolly Green Giant

The Jolly Green Giant

It’s great to be back in our home state of Minnesota again.  Even though we no longer have a house here Minnesota is still our home.  We will spend the next few weeks here visiting family and taking care of business before we head to the East Coast to see our kids before we go south for the winter.  It will probably be the middle of October before we leave Minnesota. 

Unless we do something really cool in Minnesota I will not be blogging until we leave. Stay tuned.

Posted in Alaska Trip 2013, Daily Post, Minnesota, September, South Dakota | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Wall Drug

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

I think the Sun Gods are angry with me for some reason.  Most of my pictures for the last month have been dark due to lack of sunshine.  Either it’s raining or just gloomy cloudy all day every day.  Today was more of the same.

We stopped at Wall, South Dakota, for a rest stop at the world famous Wall Drug.  Since it’s beginning in 1931 signs for Wall Drug could be found in cities all over the world as free signs were given out to it’s customers.  They still hand out free signs. It grew from being a struggling tiny pharmacy in a sleepy little town way out in the middle of South Dakota’s vast grasslands in 1931 to a regular tourist destination…all because one day they put out a sign offering free ice water to travelers and it began drawing in customers.  Now hundreds of signs line the freeway all over the country.

Wall Drug

Wall Drug

Among the many oddities found here is a giant animated T-Rex that roars at you every 14 minutes.

Wall Drug

Wall Drug 

And the giant jack-a-lope.  I didn’t want a picture of me sitting on it and neither did Bernie.

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Jack-a-lope

We’re now in Chamberlain, South Dakota, for the night.  The parking lot at Al’s Oasis has a few large animals.  Here’s Bernie petting the bison.

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Bernie and the Bison

We will be in Minnesota tomorrow!

Posted in Alaska Trip 2013, Daily Post, September, South Dakota | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Black Hills of South Dakota

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Custer State Park has loads of wildlife.  We drove around the wildlife loop and got our eyes full.  Here are some pics:

Antelope

Pronghorn

Elk

Elk

Bison

Bison

Mountain Goats

Mountain Goats

Donkey

Burros

Big Horn Sheep

Big Horn Sheep

Mountain Bluebird

Mountain Bluebird

Of course a stop at Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a must.  I’ve seen this a few times before and each time I’m in awe of the magnificent feat of engineering required create this sculpture out of a mountain.

Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore

The world’s largest mountain carving is now in progress…Crazy Horse Memorial. The American Indians would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, too. This is way bigger than Mount Rushmore.  In fact, all four heads of Mount Rushmore would fit inside Crazy Horse’s head alone. Unlike Mount Rushmore no state or federal funds are being accepted to create this project, being financed primarily from an admission fee, which this year is $10 each.

Crazy Horse Memorial

Crazy Horse Memorial

Crazy Horse Memorial in Progress

Crazy Horse Memorial in Progress

We enjoyed a performance by Jumping Buffalo, 6th generation grandson of Sitting Bull.

Native American Dancer Jumping Buffalo

Native American Dancer Jumping Buffalo

Both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse Memorial have great visitor centers with tons of information about the history and construction of the monuments.

We crammed all this into one day.  Tomorrow we head east again.

 

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Devil’s Tower

Posted on September 11, 2013 by Marsha Brecht

Devil’s Tower in Wyoming,  America’s first national monument, is quite a curiosity.  The 867-foot high monolith was formed by magma which cooled underground and crystallized, like mud that dries, forming hexagonal columns separated by vertical cracks.  There is a 1.3 miles paved trail through the piles of rubble, broken columns, boulders, small rocks, and stones, that lie at the base of the Tower.

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Devil’s Tower, Wyoming

Walking Trail at Devil's Tower

Walking Trail at Devil’s Tower

American Indians use the tower as a place of worship.  This “Circle of Smoke” represents the first puff of smoke from the pipe used by tribal people to pray.

Ring of Smoke.........

Circle of Sacred Smoke, by Junkyu Muto

Prairie Dog Town near the monument is around 40 acres in size and is a popular stop for tourists to see the little critters scurrying about.

Prairie Dog Town

Prairie Dog Town

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Hello There!

We hiked around the tower as well as a few other trails in the area and saw several deer and some beautiful panoramic views of the surrounding area.

White Tail Deer

White Tail Deer

There was no Internet or cell phone service in the park, so I am behind on the blog.  But now we have moved to Rapid City, South Dakota, and we have full services again.

Mount Rushmore is next.  Minnesota is getting closer!

Posted in Alaska Trip 2013, Daily Post, Wyoming | Tagged , | 1 Comment