In Kansas, Dorothy

[rideandfly]

Mike,

 

Looks like a great trip!!!!!!! Like the photos, too!

 

If you pass through eastern WY, visiting Devils Tower is nice to see. When we visited South Dakota, camped at Custer State Park. Visited Mount Rushmore, Sylvan Lake, and Badlands.

 

 

Visited while camping at Custer SP SD:

 

 

Sylvan Lake SD:

 

 

Badlands SD:

 

[topgun2]

Wall Drug here we come!

[trumpetguy]

Mike,

 

looking good.  So glad you are enjoying 64.

 

David

[John E Davies]

We visited Mt Rushmore but declined to stop. It was a weekend and there were vast hoards of people and the commercialized parking fee was ridiculous. The surrounding forest and scenery is very nice.. some roads are very twisty with tunnels. Be wary with your trailer. Parking for trailers at Rushmore is extremely limited. Go at an off-peak day and time.

 

After having seen the big National Parks and Jasper, just skip the Black Hills entirely. They are an extreme disappointment in comparison. They reminded me a lot of a large gravel pit operation. I think they are best viewed en route to the West, not returning from.

 

Wall Drug is, well Wall Drug, and you either love it or hate it.

 

Sorry to be negative about the Dakotas, their tourism departments try really hard but there is not a lot there to work with.

 

Eastern WY does have some  very pretty scenery, it's the other side of that state that sometimes resembles the Moon. Devils Tower is on my list but I haven't made it yet.

 

Stay safe.

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[snowlakemike]

<p style="text-align: left;">Back in the land of gallons, miles, and one color currency, there is not much to report. Driving down #85 from Canada I have seen a few nice vistas, but as was said above, nothing to compare with Wyoming  or Montana's parks.</p>

<p style="text-align: left;">I did find lodging difficult tonight. Drove into two campgrounds, checked with several others but with no luck. At one municipal park site, some 5th wheel jerk was taking three sites by parking crooked in the center.</p>

<p style="text-align: left;">Anyway, we are ending up at Sweet   Crude Travel Center, a truck stop on #85. Price is certainly good! They serve good food at a reasonable cost as well. So I am well fed on a fat wallet. We don't mind truck stop noise at all. It is sort of like white noise and doesn't disturb such sound sleepers. Only issue is a dirt lot and all the dust when a truck moves upwind.</p>

[John E Davies]

I hate truck stops, their diesel pumps are usually nasty and flow way too fast. I think a truck stop would be at the bottom of my list to overnight, but sometimes I guess you can't be choosy.

 

I am always amused to see pictures of Olivers parked between semis. This is one reason (of several) that we came up with the name "Mouse" for ours.

 

 

John Davies

 

Spokane WA

[KarenLukens]

We definitely prefer boat ramp truck and trailer parking areas on lakes to truck stops but we boondock most of the time anyway.

[Mike and Carol]

Anyway, we are ending up at Sweet Crude Travel Center, a truck stop on #85. Price is certainly good! They serve good food at a reasonable cost as well. So I am well fed on a fat wallet. We don’t mind truck stop noise at all. It is sort of like white noise and doesn’t disturb such sound sleepers. Only issue is a dirt lot and all the dust when a truck moves upwind.</p>

Sweet Crude Travel Center - sounds inviting!  At least you got a good meal and good nights sleep. We like to stay a Cracker Barrel's.  Also good food, but quiet.  I'm sure there aren't many up there!  Mike

[snowlakemike]

Tripus Interruptus. Elizabeth came down with a severely upset stomach (my bacon?) so we laid over an extra day near Rapid City. Took some of the time to work on trip planning for the next week. That was when, on Allstays, I found a BLM campsite just South of Wall Drugs off 205.

 

We are there now, camped atop a wall, or what the old Tarzan called an escarpment. I am about ten foot from a drop off of....maybe 200 feet, overlooking the plains below. I can see for miles. We'll overnight here tonight, then head east in the morning. We plan to hit Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa before heading home.

 

Will try to upload a couple of iPhone pics...but they really do not show the depth.

[topgun2]

If you look very closely to the East you can probably see where you will be camped tomorrow night!

 

Hope that Elizabeth is feeling better.  Certainly looks like the weather is good for you - safe travels!

 

Bill

[Commanche]

If you are going to stay at a truck stop, stay out of the big truck area, unless there is a lot of open spaces. A truck driver is operating under drive time regulations and total on duty time regs. Especially on the east coast, truck parking spots can be in short supply.

 

We like to stay at Flying J's when needing a quick overnight, and they usually have RV parking spaces in a area separate from the truck area. Usually works pretty good till some clown's car catches on fire at midnight, and all of a sudden there are fire trucks and police cars all around. All part of the journey.

 

Stan

[snowlakemike]

Reed and Karen

 

i had never even considered a boat ramp parking area. Not sure I would be comfortable, however, remembering my wayward youth and the groups of us parked at Sardis or Arkabutla Lake on those very ramps being stupid.

[KarenLukens]

Reed and Karen i had never even considered a boat ramp parking area. Not sure I would be comfortable, however, remembering my wayward youth and the groups of us parked at Sardis or Arkabutla Lake on those very ramps being stupid.

We're always totally alone at night with a nice lake view at boat ramps and we've found some pristine camping spots overlooking a nice lake, not the ramp. It's just something to keep in mind being that it is a legal area to camp when needed :)

[snowlakemike]

End of the Oddesy. I think I have finally named this trailer, almost a year and two epic Oddesy type adventures later.

 

We are currently loosely following the Great River Trail through IL, Ky, and now into eternal northern TN. Only 160 miles to home and the end of this adventure. No pictures the past two day, driving in the rain and not much really to photograph.

 

The Oddesy has performed well, on this cruise, with only minimal issues. We hit a lot of rough roads over the way and two screws backed out of the overhead mirrored doors  while neither collapsed completely, thank God, I did have to find a kitchen utensil to sub for a very small screwdriver.

 

I can't think of another thing that went wrong with the Ollie. 6,000 miles of bouncing and it all held together.

 

We plan to arrive home tomorrow afternoon. Lots to do there before our next Oddesy in August. A simple four day trip to explore the total eclipse of the sun.

 

If any of you pass through North MS, please honor is with a visit.

 

Mike and Elizaeth

[Vector - Lanham]

mmm...ahhh, Kansas.  We will have to speak about origins..I'm from Kansas too.

[Vector - Lanham]

ironically, i live not far from the Great River Trail...man...so close.