Big Cashew Adventure - Day 8

There is not real post today.  No pictures were taken and we saw the same open fields and cattle and ranches as far as the eye could see.  It was like driving through Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming or Montana.  Rather dull and all look alike.

So you wont be too board, I have included some pictures.

Big Cashew Adventure - Day 7

Well, we have made it through a whole week.  Hard to believe it has been 7 days since we started this experiment of man verse machine and the elements.  It has been a one sided contest, but we still get up every morning and torture ourselves for next X number of hours.  And tomorrow we will do the same as we slip into Canada, but that is for another blog.As you can see, I have some pictures now, but not all of them.  Continuing to figure it out.  Just give me until this is long over and I will have it down pat.

As you can tell, we found the exist to Yellowstone.  Today we arose to a balmy 28 degrees and a little more frost on the pumpkin.  But I was prepared this time.  No novice am I.  As you recall I left the water hose out and attached yesterday.  It froze up enough to block any water flow but was none the worse for wear.  This time I disconnected before we turned in so no such problem.  Still it was a cold morning so we had the heat on about 78 overnight and used two blankets.

We got our stuff together and left the site before 8. We were headed for Mammoth Springs and then Great Falls, MT and I did not want to get in late.  It took about an hour and 45 minutes to get to Mammoth Springs but we had the road mostly to ourselves.  That is mostly as we came upon a Buffalo family of three adults and two babies walking down the side of the road.  We stopped to take pictures as they were about 10 feet from the side of the car.  They just kept wondering down the road, looking at us every now and then.  After a few minutes, we drove on.  This, as I said in an earlier blog is one of the main routes in the park and is kept open just about year round.  However, that does not mean it is a smooth route.  Along the way we were treated to numerous pot holes and multiple construction sections.  I especially liked the sections where the sign said pavement ends.  Pavement ends???  And what do we drive on then?  No pavement is what you drive on.  Just dirt.  They have ripped up the asphalt and left you with a dirt trail.  Fortunately, they were not too long, but one was over a quarter mile.  We have to drive under 20 and try to avoid the "rough" spots.  We finally arrive at Mammoth Springs and found a place to part.  It was actually a car parking area but the place was pretty empty.  The Springs are very hot water pools that you cannot go in for a dip.  Steam is quite prevalent.  The major drawback is that they are up on an elevated area that you need to climb stairs to get to.  The stairs were a bit too much for Chiara.  The altitude is about 6200 feet so the air is a bit thinner.  She went up a few levels, but the walkway just kept getting steeper, so we took some pictures and headed back to the RV.  We did stop in the little hamlet to walk around.  Elk tend to wlak in and out of town, but there were no elk today.

So we left the park and headed into Montana.   This was the first state I could check off on my list of states I had yet to visit on this trip.  I guess one is better than none.  This leaves me with 6 more states that have yet to experience my charms and personality.  Chiara has added five to her list, what with Indiana, Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.  The drive to Great Falls is on Rte 89.  We took this the entire way.  It runs through the mountains outside of the Yellowstone but this is mostly through the passes.  We did not climb to often and we did not see many people.  This is Big Sky country (also Trump country), as you can tell by the signs.  We saw many high peaks, all snow covered but the cool temps were left behind.  It was in the 60s almost from the start and continued to get warmer during the drive.  It was 80 degrees when we reached Great Falls.
 
The drive itself was not too difficult, expect with a couple of those pavement ends signs.  We seem to find construction wherever we go.  One of these construction side had no pavement for about 5 miles.  We had to wait for an escort vehicle as it was only one lane so we had to take turns driving through.  The road was bad enough that I could not keep up with the pilot car and I could just see them releasing the on coming traffic before I got through, but that was not the case.  Still, we have had it with the construction spots.  Can't we build roads that last?

We arrived at Great Falls about 4 and set up in the RV site.  It has about 150 sites altogether but was only about a third full.  Most of the vehicles were trailers as there were just a handful of the self contained RV's.  We parked in out spot and it was next to a retired couple.  After we got back from dinner, they asked us about where we were from, since our license plate is Alaska.  We told them of our trip and the noted they were headed to Alaska also.  However they do this permantely.  They have a 38 foot trailer that they hitch to a pick up and this is their home.  They travel the country at their leisure and will stay in places for a few weeks at a time.  They get home to family at the holidays, but then get back on the road.  It sounds like a interesting life, but I am not sure it is a life style I would want to live.  Still, they were very personable and we had a great time talking to them.  They ever invited us for a tour of the trailer.  I can tell you it puts our RV to shame.  It is build for their comfort.
The trailer provides amost 400 sq feet of space.  It has multiple bump outs that give it more a feel of space.  There are three main areas.  There is den area with they have couches, a big screen TV, a fake fireplace that puts out heat and looks like it is burning wood, a desk and windows all around.  The kitchen has a small island which provide more counter space and room to work a meal.  And the bedroom has a queen bed, with a large closet and enough room to not feel too cramped.  The bathroom is about a half size larger than ours.  It has a faux wood paneling look but it does not look cheap.  As I said, they were very personable and it sounds like a great life for them.  Can't say I would want to do that permanently, but they cant be the only ones doing it.  We saw numerous trailers in the campground that were as close to permanent set ups, with stairs/decks, large propane tanks, a garden and blocking around the bottom of the unit to protect pipes from the cold.  I guess there is a whole contingent of people living this way.  So you learn something new every day!

Its off to Canada.  Keep an eye on the news reports.  There could be something coming out of the Sweet Grass crossing location later this morning.  A dumb Irishman and a hot tamale Italian might be more than expected.  See you on the other side - of the border that is!

Big Cashew Adventure - Day 6

It’s hard to believe that we are into our 6^th day on this world tour of Canada and Alaska, but that is what the math tells me.  Today was like no other.  Sounds like we have a recurring theme, but the theme is not the same.  The difference this day is that it got very cold overnight and we were freezing.  The temp here dropped to 24 degrees.  The hose hooked up to the outside water supply and feeding the tank of the RV, froze and there was frost on the pumpkin.  Now I see why half the park is still closed or still working on getting ready to open.There are 5 main points or areas in the park.  These are The Fishing Bridge, the Canyon, Mammoth Springs, Grant Village and Madison.  Grant Village opens this weekend.  You cannot drive the road there as it is closed and blocked.  The Fishing Bridge area just opened last Friday.  Only the road from the North entrance (Mammoth Springs and the Northeast entrance are open year round.  That is due to the excessing snow fall this park receives.  As I noted yesterday, this park is covered in snow and some of it is pretty deep.  That being said, on with the day’s activities.

We rose early due to the cold making sleep difficult.  I turned up the heater to 75 but it does not spread the hot air very evenly.  I woke up numerous times and had difficulty getting back to sleep.  Chiara had the same issues.  But we got up and out by 8:30.  Our destination was Old Faithful.  Due to the road to Grant Village being closed, we were forced to go the long way which took about 90 minutes.  We arrived around 10:15.  The parking lot was rather empty.  Not what you see in the summer.  We walked up toward the Old Faithful viewing area then turned right to the visitor center.  There we found out that the geyser had erupted just about the time we arrived and the next on was projected for 11:51.  Since we had some time to kill, we were trying to figure out what to do.  There are 5 geysers in the general area you can hike to that have times projected for them to go off.  Some are every day and others are days or weeks between but they meet the schedule fairly well.  We thought about a hike to one but with the high altitude and other points, I directed us to the Old Faithful Logue.  The Lodge was built in 1903-1904.  It was constructed entirely of materials from Yellowstone and within 5 miles of the site.  The carpenters and other skilled employees worked through the entire year and finished the Lodge in time for the targeted June opening.  The Lodge reception area rises 4 stories of so.  The building is all wood, like a log cabin.  Most of it is original materials, but some items like the floors have been replaced.  There were also two add-ons over the years.  The Lodge has 376 rooms.  Pricing ranges from $119 to $277 per night and they are open from the first or second Friday in May to the first Sunday in October.  Every fall the facility is shut down.  All pipes are blown clear, all windows are boarded up and there is no heating system left on.  They board the windows as the snow will reach the second floor and could damage the first floor glass.  This was from a tour and it was very interesting.  Still, we came to see Old Faithful do her thing.  

We walked away from the tour at 11:35.  We walked for about 6 minutes to one of the viewing areas and sat down.  About 4 minutes later, the ‘ole gal’ let it go and we were treated to the show.  It was less noisy than I expected but it was a good viewing and we have pictures to prove it.

Next we road back toward where we came from, since the other was as closed.  We stopped at a couple of hot springs and geysers.  These had walk ways that kept you above the soil and water.  The coloring of the springs were a light to darker blue.  Very pretty and you don’t want to sample it.  The water can be over 212 degrees due to pressure but it is usually around 140 to 160 degrees.  As I noted, we walked and paths and took pictures.  Driving further on, we saw more buffalo and got some real good close ups.  Actually, on the way to Old Faithful, there were 4 buffalo in the middle of the road.  The walked between the cars.  I got a picture of on about 3 fee from my driver side window.  But the highlight of the day was still to come.  As we drove back from the geysers, we stumbled upon a traffic jam.  Cars parked on both sides of the road and stopped in the middle.  It could only be one thing.  A bear sighting.  And that is what it was.  I never saw it, but Chiara did and got out of the car to take pictures.  The bear was headed up the hill and the pictures to not show much.  But she did see it so the day is a success. 

We got back a bit early and had a nice spaghetti meal.  Now we are setting ourselves for a trip to Mammoth Springs and then out of the park, heading to Great Falls, Montana.  This is the last stop over before Canada.  This is when the Adventure really begins.  Hold onto you seats.  It could be quite a ride.

Day 5 of the Adventure

Today was quite a change from the last few we have experienced.  And this is a good thing.  After arising in Buffalo, WY around 6 this morning, I wrote up Day 4 of this trip.  The WIFI was pretty good and there was only one interruption, which was caused by my laptop, when it restated on its own after I was just completing my last sentence of the blog.  Fortunately, the work was saved so I did not have to start from scratch.  Once the little lady was up and put everything in order, we were on our way, about 9 AM.  A quick stop for gas (44 gals) and we headed out on Rte. 16.  As we drove through town, we had a small caravan of Great Alaskan RVs as there were numerous fellow travelers headed out too Yellowstone.  Once we left Buffalo, we were immediately faced with climbing through the mountains.  I was told that this route required us to reach over 8,000 feet and it sure seemed that way.  We were climbing for 10 miles, I believe, and we encountered snow almost immediately.  The mountains were snow covered but so were sections of the land itself.   A few homes we encountered along the way had snow on their decks and lawns.  I wonder if it will ever melt.  Just before we reached the summit, the sky turned dark and we entered a very thick fog.  The speed limit was 60 but I could barely keep up to 40 due to the heavily reduced vision.  I got down to 25 at one point.  On the way up I had been following one of the GAH RVs.  When we hit the fog, I could barely see them about 300 feet in front.  Numerous times I could not see them.  I was too busy looking at the road and watching for a vehicle to come out of the fog.  This seem to last for hours, but it was probably about 15 minutes.  The fog slowly lifted, however, it then began to rain so the road was still questionable with slippage.  As it turned out, the RV held the road well and we finally emerged from the poor weather and the sun showed up.  This was fine, except that we still had a long ways to go down from the mountain.  With and RV you have to be careful of the brakes as they can over heat and fail.  What a wonderful diversion.

The trip down had some rolling curves and straight a ways, that is until it hit two hairpin turns.  They required a speed limit of 25, and you needed to do it to navigate this ride.  But, aside from the weather and downhill concerns, the scenery was incredible.  We were literally driving through a canyon with all its rock formations, rapids and towering heights.  It was a thrill to take the drive.  Once you came to the bottom, we were over and past the mountain, breaking out on a plain that was typically flat and provided a good view for many miles.  What made this so different then that past two days was the lack of wind.  The driving was smooth and comfortable and the gas mileage improved, even if it was minimally.  We passed a surprising number of oil wells, with some pumps working and some just rusting   a way.  We had to drive for another 2 ½ hours before we reached Cody, WY.  This town is named after Wild Bill Cody of the old west.  It is a fairly good size, although I do not know the population number.  It is about 7200 feet above sea level.  From there it was 75 miles to our destination, Yellowstone.

This part of the trip concerned me as some roads through the mountains have you climb and descend, just like earlier in the day.  There can be many switchbacks which make some people nervous.  To my surprise, the next 48 miles were run though the mountain passes.  We seldom climbed and the road weaved right and left to follow the contour of the passes and a river or two that ran through them.  The weather was about 60 degrees and sunny.  It was a pleasant ride and again, very picturesque.  Of course, things have a way of changing up on you and that is exactly what happened.

As me reached the Yellowstone Eastern entrance, the sun was no longer there, replaced by gray clouds.  We drove up to the ranger station, showed her my pass stating that I am old and decrypted, and we were waved through.  We immediately noticed that there was more snow, in fact, it was everywhere.  The park was still snow covered.  The road, at many points showed the work of snow plows that keep things open in the winder.  The snow on the side of the road was between 2 and 10 feet high, and here is was May 9^th.  We are almost two thirds into Spring and this park is still snow bound.  On top of all this, the road climbs and has many switchbacks that you have to take carefully.  To make us feel totally welcome, it actually started snowing.  There was a brief snow squall which reduced visibility and lasted for 20 minutes or so.  It took about an hour to get to the RV Park at Fishing Bridge which was a ride of 28 miles.  We checked in and drove to our spot, just to look it over.  We have water, electric and sewer disposal (what more could on ask for) but it required me to back up the RV into the space.  Another adventure was on the horizon, but we decided to take in a few sights and stops before we called it a day.  It was only about 3 PM so back out into park we went. 

We first stopped at the visitor center/general store.  They have clothing, toys, a cafeteria, small supermarket and all the nick knacks you could want.  Chiara picked up a couple of items and we were on our way to Canyon Village.  Here you can view the “Grand Canyon” of Yellowstone, which is like a miniature of the real one in Arizona.  There are multiple viewing spots but some are still closed as they are snowed in.  Also, some roads are still closed in the park.  We took some pictured of the falls from Artists viewpoint and then drove to the other side to see if we could get to the bridge you can walk on that is right at the falls.  As it turned out, this was one of the inaccessible points.  We could only see from afar and that was hidden by trees.  We drove back to the campsite, but on our way, we stopped at a steam pit area and took the walk way to get close.  We have pictures of course, but not sure when we can get them loaded into these writings. 

This pretty much covers the day.  We went back to the site.  I backed in well enough not to damage anything.  Hooked up the essentials and settle in for a nice dinner and drinking.  See you for Day 6.  

Day 4 - The Adventure Continues (even if we don't want it to)

I am actually writing this on day 5 as day 4 was another long one and I was tired when we finally rolled into the KOA in Buffalo, WY.

Day 4 was an immediate hit, that is we were hit hard.  At about 3 AM, while obviously at the campsite, were were awakened by the RV rocking and rolling back and forth.  The weather said it would be windy, but we did not expect it to be like it was.  The wind was howling and continuous, at least that is how it seemed.  We slept on and off after that although it seemed to give a reprieve for a little while.  I finally got up around 6:30.  I checked things out and the RV was still there and so were our neighbors, which consisted of about 6 other idiots, I mean adventers, who also were with GAH.

We cleaned up and stowed away our gear and took off about 8:30.  This is when we understood that the wind was just playing games with us.  As soon as we hit the highway, we learned that the Fujita scale for tornadoes never drove interstate 90 through South Dakota.  The winds seemed beyond gale force.  The RV was pushed and pulled all over the road (its 2 lanes) and it was all I could do to hold onto the steering wheel.  After about the first 10-12 miles, I noticed the front bump out looking like it was no longer flush against the side.  I pulled over at the next exit and sure enough, it had pulled out about 4 inches.  What to do.  Being the ever resourceful lad, and realizing that crying will make me look really bad here in self sufficient land, I pulled myself together and repeated the process from Saturday.  I pushed the section as I had Chiara hold the button and it reluctantly retracted fully.  I then had her hold the button to close it and pushed mightlly (hey, its my story and I can used the adjectives I like), and I was able to push it all the way in.  I then had to reset the blocks of wood, which I think I had done incorrectly before.  This time I figured it out and got them wedged in tight.  It was back on the road again, and this fix is still holding.  But as I noted, The morning drive was white knuckle as it took all I had to keep the unit in my lane.  One option I used was to slow down.  So while other cars and big rigs were going 80 +, we were at 55-60 MPH.  It helped but it was still a hold on for dear life.
At least today, the trip would be more than just driving.

We arrived at Bad Lands NP about 9:40 and drove right in with my Senior Pass,  Funny how they did not question whether I looked old enough to have such a pass.  Must have been a new ranger or something.  Well, anyway, we drove in and you are immediately hit by how different this area is compared to the the rest of the state.  These very unusual mounds, and mountains look like big piles of mud and stuff, as the coloring is gray and various shades of brown.  They are not very high, but there are many peaks that look like a replica of the Apls.  We got out and and took the walk was at the first major viewing spot.  (Still working on the pictures and trying to load them).  When you get closer, you notice a greater variation of shading and it can run from lite rust to darker gray, depending on the sunlight.  It was very interesting and you wonder how it came to be formed.  The rest of the state, outside of the Black Hills, was flat and had no such formations.  It is like someone just dumped the Bad Lands here just to be different.  Anyway, were drove through the park as it is about 40 miles long, just south of Rte 90.  You go through different areas.  Initially, the formations rise out of the ground. As you go further in, the land becomes level.  As you continue, the formations are more like canyons, where we are above them, looking down.  Then, back to the formations rising from the ground.  The road has many curves and some switchbacks, but is rather easy to drive.  At the end of the road where you leave the park, just after the ranger booth, we say the Prairie Dog colony.  There were hundreds of these creators picking out of their burrows to see what was going on.  They are very flighty and will scoot back into their hole at a moments notice.  Still, they are cute little characters and they move very fast.

We were now off to our second major attraction, Mt Rushmore.  The drive took about 90 minutes.  We stopped for lunch before proceeding, so we arrived there around 2:15.  The road is well maintained, once you get away from Rapid City, SD.  It curls its way through the up the Black Hills for about 20 miles.  There are a few tourist trap spots along the way but for the most part, you are driving through wooded areas.  When you get about a mile way from the monuments, you can see them in the distance, looking out on the land.  It is an interesting view.  We drove up to the gates and paid our fee.  As it turns out, they do not accept passes that get you into other parks.  The entrance cost is $10, but I got away with $5 being 62 or beyond.  We drove up and parked in the wrong area (this was for buses), but it fit us so well, we just took the space.  We grabbed our cameras and walked into the park.  From the entrance, you proceed down a corridor where there is the gifts shop, a book store and the office where you can rent headphones and listen to how the monument was built.  As you walk further, you come to the avenue of the states.  All 50 states, Puerto Rico and Guam are represented.  There are granite columns that line the walkway and four flags are on each one of the columns 4 sides.  You then walk out onto the promenade and get the full view of the monuments as the tower over you.  It is a magnificent site and you can only marvel at how this was accomplished.  Lots of dynamite and someone smart enough to have a vision turned into a reality.  And then there are the actual workers who sat on wooden seats about 8 inches wide hanging from two ropes suspended over the precipice with no safety nets or belts.  Not my cup of tea.  But, if you have the chance, it is something to see and worth the trip.

We are now on to Yellowstone.,  I hope to get in by mid afternoon so we will have more time to settle in the see the sites.  That's all for now.  See you at my next moment of verbal diarrhea..

Day 3 - Another day of Driving in Tornado Alley (The Adventure continues)

It certainly seemed that way.  The wind continues to buffet us about as we drive interstate 80 and then 90.  Today we rose before 7 to make 8 AM mass.  Can't expect us to miss mass regardless of where we are.  This one was in a little town called Adair.  I say little as the priest, just before the end of the mass itself, mentioned congratulations were in order for one gentleman.  He graduated high school and was headed off to college in the fall.  He was the only one graduating as he was the only high school senior from the town.  Talk about small!!!!!
After the mass, we headed off to find a supermarket as we never had the time yesterday to gather our food for the trip.  We could only find a Walmart supercenter about 20 miles away but it was in the right direction which was West.  The nearest large chain was Kroger and that was 52 miles away.  So off the Walmart we went.  I saw that the we could take rte 80 but the GPS put us on a side road which turned out to be a road under construction.  They were milling the road so it was all chewed up, loose with gravel and full of pot holes.  Most annoying since 80 would have worked but it was not good enough for technology.  Shopping took about an hour and we found most of the items on the list.  After checkout and stopping for gas (3rd time remember we get maybe 8 miles to the gallon, we were on our way again.  As it turned out, we were to be on the road to the tune of 500 miles.  It was going to be another long.  But then again, it is an adventure.

Iowa is basically flat as a pancake and endless acres of tilled fields with nothing growing.  Maybe it is too early but I would figure that by May, something should be comiong up.  I am talking about tens of thousands of acres, all plowed and showing lovely brown dirt.  South Dakota is also showing some large tilled fields but there is plenty of cattle and horses too.  However, some areas are hilly as opposed to flat but basically the same situation.  You see very few people and homes along the way, except in the cities.  The roads in both states leave something to be desired.  At times, very bumpy and lots of construction work to slow us down.  I will give them credit.  Iowa's speed limit is set at 70 MPH while SD is 80.

We arrived at the campground in Belvedere, SD around 5:45.  It was almost empty but as the evening come more and more RV's showed up, many of them from GAH.  I did not recognize anyone but there were quite a lot of them in the beginning.  Well, we got settled, actually put on the air conditioning as it was 85 degrees, and went about our business.  Chiara started dinner, with chicken cooked in olive oil, tomatoes and garlic, side of rice and salad.  It was a great meal since we had not had a decent one since Thursday.  I got back to blogging and sent out the initial one a few hours ago.  I still do not have pictures showing as I am having troubles loading them to this laptop.  I will take it up with Nello and hopefully figure it out.  After dinner and clean up, we found that the shower was backed up.  That means the tanks were full and needed to be emptied.  Not an issue when it lite, but in the dark its a little tricky.  I could not get the hose to connect.   It took me about 10 minutes and the evening bugs were keeping me company.  I finally got things squared away, unhooked the hose and come in to wash my hands.  Oh what a joy!!

So the score card after two days, is one unusable bump out, a ripped floor, 1,000 miles driven, a soar neck and rear end from sitting and sleeping with a bad pillow.  Tomorrow is the Bad Lands NP and Mt Rushmore.  See you later!

Big Cashew - On the Road Again (or why did I sign up for this ridiculous trip)

Well, its good to be back..  It has been like 6 years since you last saw, read, cursed, wailed or nashed some teeth before during and after reading one of my stories of life on the road.  This one is the a new theme.  We, Chiara and I, are headed on an "Adventure", at least according to the Great Alaskan Holiday company.  As you might guess, this company is in Alaska.  They rent RV's.  Every year they buy new ones that are made in middle America and get suckers, err, customers to drive them up north to Anchorage, Alaska, and they only charge us a discounted amount.  This is the trip I signed up for and volunteered Chiara to be a willing participant.  We have 18 days to drive the "Big Rig" to its final destination.  In the meantime, we can get in whatever site seeing we can drive to.  So this will be the theme over the next two plus weeks.  You will be entertained by our profound statements and pictures that prove what an inane idea this was.  So site back, grab a beer, or something a lot stronger and keep drinking to ease the pain in your head from reading this tome of woe.

Days 1 and 2.

I could not provide you with a write up yesterday as there was not internet where we started our trip.  And day 2 was not much better in that respect.  The internet at the KOA was horrible and dropped every few minutes.

Our 1st day started at 7 AM on Friday.  We had a 10:55 AM flight out in a torrential downpour.  It was raining so hard that I was soaked just taking the suitcases out of car and transferring them to the van taking us to the airport.  Our flight was delayed but we ended getting to Chicago only 10 minutes late.  There we then waited until 4:30 for our charter bus to show up to take us to that town that always sleeps, Wakarusa, Indiana.  Due to traffic and construction, we did not arrive until almost 9 PM.  We were then handed keys to our RV.  The keys only worked the side entrance door as they hold the ignition key until the next morning.  There were endless rows of RV's.  We slept in the RV Friday nite and then Saturday we received orientation on the use of the vehicle (very redundant as I had watched this video 3 times previously).  Since there were about 60 RVs that were being sent up to Alaska, there was a crowd and it took a while to get everyone squared away.  As it turned out, we did not leave until almost noon.  Our goals were to shop for supplies at the nearest grocery and then head west to our reserved campground, only 490 miles away.  A mere short stretch of the legs!!!.  A piece of cake.  Be there in no time.  Of course we did not account for the detour to get to RT 80 that took us about 20 miles out of our way, the traffic going to Chicago, the regular Saturday travelers and a seemingly gale force wind that always appeared to be coming at us like an F5 tornado. We marched on and were making a valiant effort to stay on schedule.  We had to stop at a service center so Chiara could look for nick-naks of Illinois.  This will be another continuing theme, stopping at all truck stops.  Then we stopped to re-position a couple of the suitcases which fell off the bed due to the RV movements.  This stop, at a remote exit,  also added miles as I could not turn around to get back on the highway.  Another 12 mile detour. 

We finally got back on the road and were making headway when I notice my side mirror was not providing a good view of the traffic behind me.  I could not figure it out until I looked closely at the side of the RV.  As a point of reference, the RV has two "bump outs", which means the vehicle living space expands when it is parked.  These have to be closed and re-tracked back into the vehicle before you drive away.  And this was all done correctly.  Unfortunately, about 300 miles into the drive ,the wind must have forced its way under something and the bump out behind the driver was partially pulled out and extended while I drove.  Since it is dangerous to stop on highways, even on the shoulder, I had to get to the next exit.  Once there I surveyed the scene and reacted in my usual calm and orderly style.  I cried my eyes out and cursed all RV manufacturers.  Then Chiara calmed me down and we called Great Alaskan.  Of course they had me try stuff which seemed to work initially, and then the unit would not budge.  The front part was still out while the back end was at an angle instead of parallel to the the side.  I finally has to physically push the back end out forcefully and then push the entire bump out back in.  Then to top it all off, I had to wedge some wooden blocks into the top to prevent the unit from moving in any direction.  As of now, we cannot use this bump out, although there is still plenty of run for us to sit down and eat or whatever.  Also, this issue with the bump out caused the linoleum floor to rip. We found some loose screws under the unit which was a cause of the ripping problem.  This is the manufactures error.  But the fix seemed to have worked, and back on the road we went.  Due to all these stops and issues, we arrived at the KOA in Adel, IA, at 9:16 PM.  Boy am I burned out.  We were on the road for 9 1/2 hours.  The campground was filled but dark as the office was closed.  I did find my reservation in the laundry room.  At least we had the first space so we slid in, got hooked up and tried to recharge from the day.  

So tomorrow is another day.  I promise more pictures.  We head to Midland, South Dakota, just outside of Bad Lands NP.  We hope for smoother sailing also.