Home!

We made it home safe and sound!  Today we spent 10 hours driving home.  The weather was yucky, a lot of rain and big traffic jam.  I can say that we were all happy to be home.  Our cat Disney was happy to see us too.  He was snuggling all of us while we unpacked.

We did have a surprise when when we looked in the back yard.  We evidently had a visitor while we were gone.  Something, decided to try and climb the rod iron bird feeder that we have and it was heavy enough to bend the whole thing to the ground. There have been numerous black bear sightings in our area so, I think he decided to pay our home a visit.  It's kind of ironic that while we were in bear country, while I was looking to see a bear, one was here!

Almost Done!

Today the girls and I officially have been in all 48 states!!!  Yay Us!

We pretty much just drove today, nothing exciting.  We did stop for pizza during a rain storm and that was good, but other than that, not much else.  That is good considering we have had our share of bumps this trip.

Tomorrow we head home.  I think everyone will be happy to sleep in their own bed and regain a little normalcy before school starts.

Wisconsin

We got a late start this morning because we did not get to bed until after midnight.

Our first destination was the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Museum and Chippewa Heritage Museum.  Both were very interesting.  Not only did we learning about the logging industry, we leaned about Wisconsin's farming industry as well.  The museum had a real one room school house, and an actual cottage that early settlers raised their family of 8 children in.  Both Hailey and Maddie got a good idea of how easy they have it now with robots that vacuum, their own bedroom, and indoor plumbing.  We ended the tour at the 1920's soda fountain where we all enjoyed our favorite treats.

We then stopped at Nelson Cheese Factory before we got back on the interstate.  Hailey insisted that we get cheese in Wisconsin.

We had about a 5 hour commute to the campground we are in now. When we got in the park there was a  mysterious ticking/ringing sound coming from the dumpster at the front of the park.  Hailey thinks it may be someones broken alarm clock that wont stop. Who knows???? Unfortunately, we had a little issue with checking in, someone else was in our spot.  When we looked at the reservation page again, Doug realized that I booked the site for 6/28 not 7/28.    Yes I am an air head sometimes!  Lucky for us we still have sites available so we are in and settled for the night.

Gotta love the ups and downs of the "Traveling Gaede's"

Making Lemonade

Today life gave us lemons!  Doug noticed that the back right breaks on the suburban were grinding, so we had to take it to the Chevy Dealership in North Dakota before we headed to Wisconsin.

While it was being serviced, we took advantage of the courtesy shuttle to have lunch and so some exploring.   It was better than sitting the the waiting area bored out of our minds.  So we went to lunch and then explored the North Dakota Heritage Museum.  It was pretty interesting to check out the different aspects of the state, from it's Native American beginning to modern times.  We also got to see  William Shakespeare's first folio, which they had on display as well.  Hailey was very interested in that because she had studied Romeo and Juliet in school.

Finally, after several hours we got the call that the suburban was ready and we were back on the road. We still had a long drive ahead of us, and Doug dutifully drove close to 8 hours to out next stop.  We did not pull in until almost midnight.

Needless to say, we plan to sleep in a little,

Painted Canyon and Enchanted Highway

Today marked Doug official visit to all 48 states!  He was a very happy camper!!!  Us girls still have a few to go, our trip is NOT over!

We visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Park and saw the Painted Canyon.  It was amazing!!!!!! It was incredibly beautiful  to see all of the colors.  We drive the loop in the park, stopping to see teh wildlife and amazing views.  We even did a short hike. I felt like I was part of a "CBS Sunday Morning Moment of Nature."  

Perhaps, my favorite part of this park was the wildlife.  We got to see prairie dogs, a herd of antelope, and bison.  We actually had a front row seat to view the enormous beast, as one decided to walk right next to the suburban.  He was close enough that I could reah out and touch him if I wanted to

After we left the National Park we drove to the Enchanted Highway.  Maddie was so excited to see the sculptures.  I must admit that they were pretty amazing to see. Both girls had a blast posing with the purple and black flamingos in front of the sculptures. Doug even joined in the fun. Now we are parked at the Enchanted Highway RV park for the night.  Tomorrow we must continue our drive east towards home!

Driving and Driving and Driving Some More

Today we continued our trek back east towards home.  We were in the car for like 10 hours.   It seemed like the road was going to go on forever and ever and it did.   We had no cell service for most of the ride and the towns were few and far between.  At one point Doug was looking for a gas station for about 150 miles..... and then we ran out.   We were pulled over on the side of the road while he was trying to get the gas from the generator, into the truck, when a very kind woman named Ann, stopped by and offered to help.  She took Doug to the nearest gas station, which was just 10 minutes up the road.  She was very kind to help strangers out. We were very thankful that things worked out.  Once we were gassed up we then continued our drive for a while longer until we came to a rest stop and parked there for the night.

Glacier National Park

Today we visited Glacier National Park.  It was another beautiful weather day and the sights were amazing!  It is so sad to see that the glaciers that we saw today will not be there in a few years.  Seeing the pictures of the park just 20-25 years ago and comparing them with todays views is astounding. We have lost so much.  Once day people will be visiting glacier national park and reading about how the park got its name, they will not be able to see with their own eyes.  That is so sad!

On a happier note, we took a bus ride to the top of one of the visitors centers, and then explored the rail that was above the treeline.  I got very excited when we got on the bus because the drive was taking about she has seen a bear in a field we were going to pass all day. Unfortunately he was not out when we went by.  My quest to see bear is still unfulfilled.   Anyway, on our hike we saw some of the most beautiful wild flowers, a heard of big horned sheep up on a cliff, saw some adorable ground squirrels, and had an up close and personal view a goat.

It was a great afternoon, I really wish we had more time to explore more of the park.  We have to head out for another very long drive tomorrow.

Driving 6/23

Doug drove and drove and drove.  I slept, and read, and read.  Hailey watched movies, and was on Instagram and Kick, Maddie watched movies are read.  We stopped at the Paul Bunyan Burger Stand for a late lunch so I could get a picture of the big Paul Bunyan.  They had awesome Huckleberry Milkshakes.

Seattle

Today we were busy little tourists!  We started our morning with a tour of the Boeing Factory.  We got to go into the actual factory where they build the 747 and 787 airliners.  It was pretty cool.  Doug was in Geek Heaven!  The factory itself is huge.  In just one area, they had an assembly line of 6 air liners in different stages of production.   We also got to see the modified 747 they call the Dream Lifter that transports the composite parts for the 787 Dream Liner. We were barred from taking pictures of anything on the tour.  But once back at the Future of Flight area we could take pictures.  We also had a chance to take part in a survey testing out new airplane cabin prototypes.

Afterwards we headed to downtown Seattle where we went up in the viewing platform of the Space Needle.  We also had an awesome brunch there as well.  The food was as amazing as the view. Hailey loved being in the restaurant.  Not only was it high up over the city, the floor actually rotated around (360 degrees every 45 min).   It was a wonderful experience for all of us. The girls had fun leaving notes on the ledge and answering them as they came around.

After we left the Space Needle we took a "urban hike" to Pike Place market.  It was a great way to get a feel for the city and we got to see some pretty cool sights including the famous Fish Market!  Sadly we got there just a little before closing, but it was still fun.

Now we are four very tired people.  We are back at the campground and plan to make it an early night.  Tomorrow we start heading back to home, although we still have a few places to stop and visit.

Washington or Bust

We had a VERY LONG  drive today.  We stared out waking up at 6am so we were on the road by 7:40.   Maddie and I both slept most of the morning in the car.  Then we made it to the home of one of Doug's r-Pod Owner Internet friends for lunch.  It was so wonderful to have a home cooked meal after eating camp food and restaurant food for the last 20 days.  Both Bob and Sue were amazing hosts and we had a wonderful break before completing the 11 hour drive to the Seattle/Takoma KOA where we are now.

The drive was relatively uneventful except for the tire warning light came on at one point on the highway, luckily it was just a system issue and our tires were all ok. We did make a side trip to Wal Mart to restock.  Now, we are settled in the camper, after a record breaking 15 minute set up.  (Go Team GAEDE).  Tomorrow we need to get up early for the tours we have booked.  It is going to be a very fun and eventful day. Now it is 10:38 pm Pacific Time, so I am headed to bed.

Crater Lake

We drive four hours this morning to get to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon.  As soon as we got set up we immediately had to do laundry, as ours has been over flowing.  So we stared it and then went to the lodge for lunch and souvenir shopping.  It was an easy way to kill time.  Sadly one of the dryers did not work too well so we had to then lay out our wet clothes all over the camper.  It looked like hillbillys lived there.

After the laundry fiasco, we went to explore the outer rim of the lake.  All I can say it that there are no words to describe the beauty of the lake,  The water was so blue, the trees were full and rich, the wild flowers were amazing.  It was like looking at a picture.  We drove the entire rim of the lake, stopping at the various look out points.  We were so high up the mountain (about 6000 feet) that there was still snow in some areas.  Both Maddie and Hailey had a snowball fight in the middle of July :).   I made the entire drive on the mountains myself, with some verbal encouragement from Doug.  I still hate heights and driving on narrow roads with the suburban.

After the drive, we all kind of needed some down time, so we ended up reading in the camper.  This site had no WiFi and no hook ups as well.   It was very relaxing and what we needed since Doug has a LONG drive tomorrow to Seattle.

Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park

We had a long drive today to get to the Jedediah Smith State Park.  On our drive we had some pretty incredible views of both the pacific ocean and a heard of elk.  Once we got into the park it was after the office was closed so we made it to our assigned campsite to find that we were assigned a tent site.  We spent over an hour cramming our 26 foot camper into this teeny weeny spot.  Thankfully the people across from us offered to let us park the suburban on their spot because there was absolutely no room for that too.   We were packed so tightly that we couldn't put the slide out the whole way and I had to climb over Doug to get in and out of the bed.   This site also had no hook ups and no WiFi. (which is why 3 days later I am posting this). Luckily we were able to get our site changed for our next night at this park.

The next morning we drove into Crescent City for Breakfast, since we did not have electricity.  Then we took the carriage road tour through the Redwoods.  They were completely amazing to see.  All four of us were marveled by their size and how they grow in clones.  Their bark can be up to a foot thick and protects them from fire.   The drive was on a one lane road, and I had to pull over a lot to let people get by going the opposite direction, but I didn't mind.  It gave  us more time to look at the trees.

After that we went to the visitors center and watched a movie about the redwoods and then we went on a hiking trail.

All four of us really loved this park, it was beautiful and not crowded,  This is a place I would like to return to in the future.

San Francisco

Today we got up early and drove to Anthony Chabot Regional Park, which is right outside of San Francisco.  It is a beautiful campground, and it is very quiet.  I had made reservations for a boat tour of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, sadly, the traffic was so bad between the park and the dock that we missed our boat. :(  The 45 min trip took us almost 2 hours.  (We were able to get a refund on out tickets though.)

We decided to walk to Pier 39, for some sight seeing and shopping.  Boy did we see some sights, on out way to the pier, we saw a woman drop her pants,lean against a car and pee in the road ( a sight I wish I could un-see).  We made it to the end of the pier and got some excellent photos.  Then we went for Sushi at Hana Zen Sushi Bar, where we had an awesome view of the bay and incredible food!!!! We did a little shopping, and just enjoyed being together,  It was so cold and windy out (61 degrees) that we were not too upset about missing the boat tour, as we would have been uncomfortable.  All in all it was an enjoyable day, even if it did not go according to plan.  One of the many things we have learned doing these trips is to be flexible.

We stopped at the grocery store on the way back to the campground and we are all snuggled up in the warm camper eating ice cream (It's a Gaede thing).

Yosemite

We had another day of exploring today, this time it was Yosemite National Park. Maddie thought it was "Yo- Sa- Might" which made the three of us laugh and call it that the rest of the day. The campground we booked as about 45 minutes from the park, but this one had full hook ups and we were happy about that!   We went into the park and I drove to give Doug a break.   There were a lot of steep mountains to travel, that did not have any barriers or guard rails.  Needless to say, I was not a happy driver and did not see much of the views.  I focused on breathing calmly and the road in front of me.

The park was packed with visitors so we were not able to get to visitor center and beyond. The one area that Maddie wasted to see, Mariposa Grove, was closed for renovations.  We did get to see Half Dome from both sides, and Bridalveil Fall, as well as many other impressive areas. Since we did not have a good radio signal, Doug started playing music he had on his phone. The girls, we not impressed at all by our "old people" music, and did their best to make fun of us.  We attempted to have dinner at the lodge, but it was reservations only and we did not have them so we opted for some snacks, pumpkin seeds, GORP, and gummy worms to tide us over. Thankfully, Doug offered to drive the 2 and a half down the mountain on the way home. Maddie fell asleep on the ride back to the camper, while Doug, Hailey and I all listed to Jeff Foxworthy on the radio. 

It was a nice park, I wish we had time to see more of it, this will defiantly be one Doug and I return to in our retirement.