Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in North Dakota to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. FANTASTIC!
John got a transport load to North Dakota. We got busy preparing for our trip. John got the oil changed, and I made our next two overnight stay requests through the Harvest Host app. After staying at Kercher's Orchard in Indiana, where we purchased bourbon BBQ sauce and black bean salsa, we went to pick up the transport load.
The process of picking up a transport load: John picks up paperwork, then we go to the yard where the travel trailer is staged after leaving the factory. There are many yards and they are miles apart. Once we arrive at the yard, we find the numbered row the trailer is parked in and then we look for the trailer by VIN number. John then does a Pre-Trip Inspection, which includes an inspection of the entire exterior of the trailer (he is not responsible for the interior as he is just transporting it). He writes down any dings, scratches, damages of any sort. He also takes pictures. This is part of the paperwork. Then he hooks up the trailer to our truck. He calls Control Center to say he is in possession of the unit and he is heading out. He gets half the amount for the job upfront, and the second half once his paperwork is submitted after the load is delivered. Just thought I would give you some background on what takes place when picking up a transport load.
So we are headed out. Our first stopover was at a Harvest Host participant in Janesville, Wisconsin - Basics Cooperative Natural Foods. I have to be very careful from which Harvest Host I request a stay; it has to be a Harvest Host with plenty of room for the travel trailer we are towing. Basics Cooperative Natural Foods has a large grocery store parking lot. There was more than sufficient room for us to park out of the way and not impede on the patron parking for the store. After settling into the parking area, we went in to support our Host by making a purchase in exchange for staying overnight. This type of Harvest Host works great for us, because we can purchase groceries we would have been buying anyway. We bought a few things and were surprised when they gave us $5.00 off for being in the Harvest Host program. Win! Win!
The next day we got another day closer to our delivery. Since we have been on this Interstate many times, I chose not to spend my time getting more of the same content (pics and videos) as John drove. Instead, I researched how to start this blog. I am not going to lie; it was very overwhelming. 😩 After getting a grip on my sullen mood, I reminded myself that we would eventually monetize our blog and future social media, and it would also be a great way for family and friends to join our journey. I didn't want to disappoint anyone by not following through with the blog.
Our stopover for the night was at another Harvest Host location - - Nordic Brew Pub, located in Monticello, Minnesota. We had a light supper to support the Host and then returned to our camper. This parking lot had plenty of room, and we found a cozy area in the back. We streamed a few shows to wind down before turning in: Living Large Camping, Gold Rush, and Yellowstone. These are three of our favorites!
Left: Parking at Nordic Brew Pub
Right: Light Supper at Nordic Brew Pub
The next day John delivered the RPod travel trailer.
Side Note: After John delivers his transport loads, we try to take a Down Day (as it is a lot of driving for consecutive days). As we head back to Indiana for another transport load, we try to take in some scenery by straying off the Interstates (when our schedule permits).
We got a cup of coffee from Scooter's (a growing coffee chain) and then we headed to Family Fare grocery store. This was not our favorite grocery store, but, you win some you lose some. Then we went to look at the exterior of a house that I saw on Realtor.com. We are still keepying our eye out for our "forever place." This particular house, we decided, was in a city with a larger population than we would like. But, sometimes, it's still good to take a look. It helps us learn more of what we want and what we don't.
Here are some pics of our drive in North Dakota:
Bulletin Board seen in our travels:
"Kindness / Find the Good in Everybody"
by the nonprofit organization The Foundation for a Better Life
God Bless, Dolly.
We headed to site #102 ($15/night) at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in Mandan, North Dakota. The site is fantastic! We are right on the Missouri and Heart Rivers - right where the rivers join. We walked a loop in the campground before turning in. We were excited to explore the next day!
Top Left: Campsite #102
Top Right: View From Our Camper Window
Bottom Left: Walking Path Along River :)
Bottom Right: Joining Rivers
Some history on Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park: On-a-Slant Village was established by the Mandan Indians around 1575. It was later abandoned due to a smallpox outbreak. The earth lodge remnants were reconstructed under the guidance of Scattered Corn - - an 82-year old Mandan woman and the first female Corn Priest of her tribe. Due to her efforts, visitors today can learn about their way of life and traditions.
Earth Lodges
In 1872 this area became a military site, which was commanded by General George Armstrong Custer. Visitors can learn about the blockhouses, military barracks, and the reconstructed Custer House. The Fort was abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1891 and, in 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed over the land to North Dakota. Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park was the first State Park in North Dakota; thereby, making it the oldest. In 1934 (during the Great Depression) the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) forged the physical backbone for the State Park. The CCC mostly consisted of World War I veterans. They established the footprint for Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, blending historical preservation with outdoor recreation. And we are so glad they did! This should be on everyone's bucket list!
Military Blockhouse
This military blockhouse window is referred to as a Loophole, Gun Loop, and/or Arrowslit.
It was used for a lookout and also for tactical defense, allowing soldiers to fire their rifles while being protected behind the thick timber walls of the blockhouse.
After driving for several days, we were exhausted, especially John. Being the only off-season campers at the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park, and being next to the rivers, we felt certain we would get a great night's sleep. It did not disappoint! However . . . . . It is not unusual for us to be woken in the morning by road noise, delivery trucks, workers, trains, wind, other campers, barking dogs, etc., but this is the first time we were woken by wild turkeys! 🦃🦃🦃 Love it!
We took a Down Day to explore the State Park. We went to see the artifacts and watch a film at the Visitor Center and browse the Gift Shop. Then we walked around the outside of the earth lodges that were home to the Mandan Indians. We walked around the barracks, peeking in the windows (they were closed for the off-season). There are several trails. My favorite was Little Soldier Loop Trail, which took us to the historic Post Cemetery. The original cemetery held remains of fallen soldiers from the Battle of the Little Bighorn. These soldiers were later relocated to the Custer National Cemetery in Montana after the Fort was abandoned by the U.S. Army in 1891. Also at rest in the cemetery are civilians and children. I imagine the soldiers, civilians, and children who lived in that time period. Compared to now, they had very different lives. But, at the time, they knew no different. It just makes you stop and think. Think how different those times were.
We hiked back to our campsite and relaxed in our camping chairs by the adjoining Missouri and Heart Rivers. We had dinner, took a walk, and made 4 overnight stay requests for our trip back to Indiana. It was a great day! We will definitely come back here.
Relaxing by the Adjoining Missouri and Heart Rivers
We left Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park the next morning. We refueled our truck and refilled our propane. We drove to a Harvest Host location - - Junkyard Brewing Company in Powers, Minnesota (just outside Fargo, North Dakota). Here we had The Lord of the Wings - - a Buffalo chicken pizza - to support our Host. We took a walk around Powers, Minnesota and headed back to our camper for the night. The next morning we woke to hearing someone outside in the next parking lot who was very agitated. He sounded delirious, possibly from a substance. It was possibly the only time on this journey that I felt a hightened sense of alert. All was well though. Some brave soul from the business of that parking lot came out and seemed to calm him down.
Left/Middle: Junkyard Brewing
Right: Parking for Junkyard Brewing
We have been wanting to drive the Upper Peninsula for some time, but weather has always stood in our way. This time, though, we have a good weather window! We drove from the west side of Minnesota (Moorhead) to the east side of Minnesota (Duluth). We stopped to refuel at a Marathon gas station that was the size of a postage-stamp! Okay, maybe a little bigger than a postage stamp! But, REALLY small. Then we drove through Jay Cooke State Park next to the Saint Louis River. We did not need a State Park pass as long as we didn't pull over and stop! Very pretty, but an overcast day for sure (see pics).
We arrived at our next Harvest Host - - Wild State Cider. The parking lot was very small, but the Host had cones out to reserve the Harvest Host parking spot. I am glad we arrived early, because the parking lot was packed later in the evening! A well-liked place! We supported our Host by having a charcuterie board, and I had a pear cider. I haven't drank any kind of alcohol in over 4 months, so it did give me a little buzz. 🐝 Afterward, we went for a longer hike through Lincoln Park, which was about 2 1/2 blocks away. It was so pretty - a hidden gem to us for sure! We returned to the camper and made dinner.
Top Left: Reserved Spot
Top Right: Wild State Cider
Bottom Left: Charcuterie Board
Bottom Right: Wild State Cider in Duluth, Minnesota
We were headed back to our camper at Wild State Cider when a town siren started going off! I am not going to lie when I tell you it freaked us out a little bit. Apparently, it was a planned alert test.
The following day we drove to our next reserved Harvest Host - - Wilson Creek Cafe. They were already closed when we arrived, so we planned to support our Host by having breakfast the next morning. OMG . . . . . so good! 😋
Welcome to Wisconsin. We took scenic Route 13 along Lake Superior. The map brochure and road signage could have been better. 🤔 My favorite town was Bayfield. It was my kind of small, and my kind of quiet. I could see us living there if we wanted to live in this area. We entered the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and drove from Powers, over the well-renowned Mackinac Bridge, viewing Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. We saw some beautiful scenery.
The next night we stayed at a Harvest Host - Cedar Springs Brewing Company. The food was great, the parking was paved and level, and there was a walking path right behind it! What more could one want?! I LOVE the town of Cedar Springs. I love the houses behind the village. I love the fact that there are sidewalks. I love the walking path! I love all the little parks and benches throughout the village. There is an amphitheater by the library. You get the feeling that it is a great community. It was a Sunday, and the church bells played for a while! It is such a Feel Good town. I, of course, took a walk before we headed out.
We arrived back in Indiana. We refuled, refilled our propane, picked up some groceries, and did laundry . . . . . basically, a Reset Day.
We were ready for our next transport load. We wondered as we looked at the load board. . . . . What load, going where, shall we take?
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