It is hard to believe that it is mid-August already, and we have been in Gary, Minnesota, for Carl’s work-camping job for about three weeks. He has been hauling manure to fields, corn to grain elevators, sugar beets to the piling station, and alfalfa to the dairy. He has also helped with a few miscellaneous projects around the silos.
I have been working on several book projects for self-publishing authors, cleaning, catching up on laundry, and reading. I have a blog or two in mind for my website, BookLayoutPro.com, and I need to get those written. I have a few in mind for RivetingJourney.com, but I will probably crank out just one… this one.
I’m enjoying the solitude of my home on wheels while Carl is working, sometimes feeling the allure of being a hermit. I’m mourning the loss of a college friend, contemplating the role of regrets in our lives, wallowing in the sense of wanderlust that has grown deep roots these past few years, and escaping into fictional worlds to shield me from the “shoulds.”
However, this “should” has wiggled its way to the surface. I “should” update RivetingJourney.com. So, here we are.
This time last year, we were wrapping up our summer trip to Alaska (start with this post – Alaska Roadtrip Installment 1). I (Karen) LOVED our trip to Alaska and want to redo it but BETTER [one of my ideas for a future blog…]. I felt this way about our trip to Hawaii 11 years ago. I want to redo that trip but BETTER!
This year, we finally made it to Colorado (and added it to our map), visited some new places, revisited a few other places, and added a Canadian province to our map (Manitoba).
After spending part of April and most of May in southern Utah (Zion to Moab), we moved to Colorado. The major highlights included slipping and sliding over Monarch Pass (watch this video!) and visiting Mesa Verde National Park, Great Sand Dunes National Park (another video), and Rocky Mountain National Park (Rocky Mountain National Park and Need-to-Know Info).
We needed at least two more days at Mesa Verde National Park. There is a lot of driving to get to significant parts to see, and guided tours to some of the cliff dwellings had not yet started. We will be going back!
At some point, we will return to Rocky Mountain National Park. It is massive and deserves more time. I’d like to enter from the south and from the west to explore other areas. I’d also like to return on a non-rainy/non-snowy/non-chilly day to enjoy different hiking trails along the popular Bear Lake Road.
In Wyoming, we spent several days boondocking near, visiting, and camping in Grand Teton National Park. Then, we spent an afternoon and evening exploring a part of Yellowstone National Park before heading east.
We were able to stay at the campground within Devils Tower National Monument. Then, we went to one of our favorite boondocking spots outside the Badlands in South Dakota. One of the highlights while there was visiting the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site, which was very interesting and informative about the Cold War.
Making our way into North Dakota, we stayed at a campground on Lake Harmon for several days. It was hot, and we were happy to use the electricity to run our AC. We also rented paddleboards for the first time, and—after falling into the water two or three times—I successfully stood and paddled around for at least 20 minutes! Yes. Yes. I’m impressed with myself. No pictures to prove it, though! We were too busy staying on our boards!
At this point, it was about mid-July, and Carl was very eager to get to Gary, Minnesota. He usually starts his work-camping job at the end of August or the beginning of September. But we want to get back to NC by early to mid-October to take care of medical appointments, buy a new truck, and spend the holidays with family and friends, so I let him talk me into getting to Gary by the end of July so he can work two full months at Skaurud Grain Farm.
Knowing that we would be sitting still for several weeks, Carl gave in to my demands to get a Canadian province on our map. So we made our way to Winnipeg, Manitoba, for several nights. The Canadian Museum for Human Rights was outstanding! We also attended a PointeTango performance that was part of the annual Fringe Festival.
Before arriving in Gary, MN, our final stop was Voyageurs National Park, just outside of International Falls in northern Minnesota. As expected, it did NOT disappoint. We have not yet visited a national park or monument we did not like. A few are “one and done”—one visit is fine, and Voyageurs NP falls into that category. But it was still worth the trip, especially in the summer and especially with a boat tour (because it is mostly water!).
Being in Gary is all about work, rest, sitting still… but there have been some highlights with a few more waiting in the wings… northern lights (picture taken by Carl on his cell phone) and flourishing gardens with hidden trolls and more in the near future!
We are now planning to buy a new (to us) truck in October, travel to Florida in January for a couple of months, and purchase a used RV with two sleeping areas for a six-week trip with my mom next summer.
The riveting journey continues!
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