Fort Whoop Up

Fort Benton RV Park

Site #? - $23 - p/w/s, Temp 18C

Fall on the Missouri River at Ft Benton

We set up camp and did a walking tour (with our bikes) of Fort Benton. It was interesting to see all the old buildings and read about the days when it was called "Fort Whoop Up". It is not hard to imagine the gunslingers and their "ladies" hanging in the streets and over balconies here.

Another Lewis & Clarke statue at Ft Benton

We are just going as far as Havre today. (We are truly avoiding crossing the border and going home!) We hadn't planned to be home until the 15th, so not not wanting to rush it. The change of plans to go to Yellowstone really threw a wrench in!

There is no internet at this campground, but some nearby neighbor has unsecured wireless. We will be leaving shortly!

Helena, MT Brrrrr . . .

Lincoln Road Campground
Site #24 - $25, p/w/s, Internet, Temp 10C

Yay, another campground with internet. It seems to be pretty standard these days. It is nice to be able to stay in touch, but also it's helpful for checking out the campgrounds and "things to see & do"

It was -1C when we got up this a.m. and all of our windows are fogged up. No morning coffee outside today! Our little heater is getting the workout. Anyway, it is sunny and it's supposed to warm to 17C, so that is good news.

We had our little "Thanksgiving dinner" last night with ham & scalloped potatoes. We are looking forward to leftovers for a few days!

Canadian Internet news shows that the borders are very busy this weekend, so we won't cross until at least Tues. Today we are heading to Fort Benton. More forts and monuments, but we do enjoy the scenic drives and seeing the country.

weather!

And we have another change of plans. We left Billings with "splats" on the windshield.  It was 1C with a mix of rain & snow! We just couldn't get excited about Cody which was also showing rain/snow. So we are making our way home. Schucks! We will spend tonight in Great Falls (or maybe just Butte) and cross the border tomorrow. We may spend a night somewhere in AB before home. It is so tough to think about winterising and storing the 5th wheel! I always hate to admit that camping season is over! :- (

Me & Uncle George!

Well, we are all fixed up and ready to go again. The slide part arrived at noon, we hooked up to the 5th wheel and headed to the shop. Within 1/2 hr. we were back in our camp spot again. It was a bit expensive, but that's what happens when you expedite delivery! Glad it's fixed. It was all Ron & I could do to manually push the slide in & out.

This morning we headed out to Pompey's Pillar (much like the Devil's Tower that we saw earlier this week) where Wm Clark from the Lewis & Clark expedition carved his initials back in 1806. There was a small museum and I had my picture taken beside a picture of my "4th Great Grand-Uncle" George Shannon :-) who was a part of this expedition. (He was shot in the leg during an Indian attack and had to have his leg amputated.)

So the plan is to leave in the a.m. and go back to Cody, Wyoming (Buffalo Bill's stomping grounds). We'll tour there and then decide whether we will go to Yellowstone or leave it for another trip. Again, it depends on the weather.

If I don't get back online before Monday, have a great Thanksgiving everyone!! Enjoy your turkeys! We are certainly going to miss that!

Thanksgiving!! ??

We actually forgot that this is thanksgiving weekend coming up. (Until we got your email re cooking a turkey, Kari). We've been in the USA too long!! No talk of turkeys and/or long weekends here!

We THINK the truck is in good running condition now. Ron spent all morning at the brake shop. So now we just need our 5th wheel part and we will be set!! Sure hope it arrives tomorrow and Sat. we can be on the road again! to where?? not sure!

This afternoon we went on a 22 km bike ride. An awesome ride on a concrete path along the Yellowstone River. One of the nicest bicycle paths we've been on. The path ended across a field from our campground, so we road across the field and Ron proceeded to lift our bikes over the barb wire fence that surrounds the campground. We didn't want to back-track when we were "right there"! Once again the owner comes along (as we are straddling the fence) to see what's going on -- who is violating the "Private Property" signs and "climbing over the fence!!. (last night the "fire" & today the fence.) I said we are going to get kicked out of this place yet!! I'm sure the owner was saying --it's those same damn Canadians again!!!

Bill, our Illinois neighbor was over again for drinks before supper and brought more sausage. We meet so many great people on the road and exchange cards etc., but usually never hear from them again.

Well that is about it for today. We are listening to a relaxing "Kenny G" CD and we will read another chapter or two in our books. It is too cold to sit outside this evening.

A good day

Well I found the solution to a bad day -- go shopping :-)  Ron dropped me off at the mall and I took care of $100. pretty quick with all the end of season sales! Man that felt good!

Actually, it was a good day for both of us. While I was shopping, Ron was at the Dodge dealership and had the truck checked out. This diesel mechanic cleaned the battery cables and said if there is corrosion on the battery cable, it affects the torque converter which would cause the pulsating/surges we were experiencing and for $65. his cleaning seemed to have fixed the problem! So, if our luck continues with tomorrow's brake job and then the slide gears which we were told have an 80% chance of arriving on Friday, we will consider ourselves back in business and be VERY happy!!

We had an enjoyable evening with our Illinois neighbors who came for drinks before supper and shared their homemade sausage. (We had complained that you can't buy good sausage here... American's idea of sausage are just spiced wieners!) Anyway, we then shared our bbqued pork loin and they brought over more sausage and we all sat around our propane firepit for the evening. The campground owner came to check on us as he'd had complaints about an "open fire" which isn't allowed in town. When he realized it was just a propane pit, no problem, we were just fine! Of course Ron just loves it when this happens and we can "show off" our cool fire pit !!

We have nothing planned for tomorrow other than the brake job. We will go bike riding if  the weather is okay.  It is raining now and more rain for tomorrow's forecast.  We'll see, I might have to go shopping again. :-)

Poor Luck in Billings, MT!

Yellowstone River RV Park
Site #25 - p/w, Internet

Well, we are in Billings for 3 nights at least, maybe more. Our slide gears have been ordered and that's as quick as we can get them. We spent last night in the shop yard as I said. It was a little noisy and we were up by 7 a.m. with various workers all coming etc. Travis, the repairman, who is helping us has been SO accommodating and helpful. We owe him big time!

We have now moved to the city campground. It's actually quite a nice spot on the Yellowstone River, so it won't be so bad spending the time here. We can push the slide open manually. We did phone the place in Moose Jaw where we bought the 5th wheel, but they likely couldn't get the part for at least 5 days.

Ron also has an appointment for the truck tomorrow. (did I mention the brakes are bad also!!?) So he's getting a brake job and a wheel alignment. I don't know if he's going to worry about the power surges until we get home and then we'll wait around and hope the trailer part arrives Friday!

slide issues

We are starting to feel like the "travel gods" are against us this trip. Now we are having problems with the gear box on the 5th wheel slide. It was clunking and has steadily gotten much worse. We stopped at a trailer place in Gillette, WY but they were unable to help (they didn't have the parts) and he suggested our best bet was Billings, Montana. That is where we are now!

We may have to postpone Yellowstone for another trip. We could head south again as it is not that far out of the way, but the weather is probably the biggest deterrent. Someone else confirmed the snow & ice headed that way! We'll work on a new travel plan after we get to the trailer place!

If anything, we are learning to be patient and flexible!!

P.S. No luck at the trailer places. They were booked until mid Oct and don't have parts anyway. So we got a name and went to a private RV & Auto Repair shop. Great guy took the gear box apart and we have a stripped gear. Now to find a replacement. Ran around town for an hour before closing to all the gear shops.

We are spending the night in the 'field' by this guy's shop in the industrial area -- he says we'll be safe!

a side trip

That was one wicked wind and it gusted through the night. There were a lot of campers that pulled in behind us as they too were having trouble bucking the wind. We just did the 1/2 drive to the Devil's Tower rock then hung out in the 5th wheel. It is kind of interesting... See attached pics.

IAccording to an Indian legend, a bear chased 7 young girls on to a small rock. Their prayers for help were heeded and the rock carried them upward to safety. The bears claws can be seen trying to climb the "tower". The girls were ultimately transformed in to the constellation - Pleides, or the 7 sisters!

We laughed at one sign on a restaurant on the way. "For Heaven's Sake... PLEASE COME IN AND EAT and save 2 of us from starving"

ha ha....anyway. Today we are moving on.. somewhere ??

Wind Stop in Sundance, Wyoming

Mt View Campground

Site #11 - $31, p/w/s, Internet

We made it to Sundance, Wyoming and had to quit driving WIND WIND WIND. I don't think I've ever seen it so bad! It is the first time we've been forced to quit driving because of it !

We hope it lets up tomorrow. Also, we stopped at the tourist info here and looked at the forecast in Yellowstone and it's showing a 40% chance of snow everyday this week.... hmmmm .... to go or not to go...!?

Anyway, there are a couple of things we can do here. Devil's Tower National Monument is just up the road so off we go!!

Sunday / Monday

We lost use of the internet in the campground because the satellite dishes are not working. It's disappointing, but it's hard to complain when it's a free service.

We just did another scenic driving tour today through Spearfish Canyon and Deadwood City. It's kind of a cool city with brick roads and all the old store fronts. Only problem is there is pretty much no shopping in the town anymore. Every store has become a casino. So Casinos and the odd souvenir store pretty much sums up the city. Too bad, but obviously that's where they make their money now and it seemed to be busy.

I'm more than ready to move on .. We've seen enough of this area. I just wish we didn't have the truck problem to contend with. I don't look forward to sitting around in Rapid City waiting on that tomorrow!

All for now... Not sure when I'll get to send this email....
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Monday:

I never did get back on the internet at the campground! We were on the road by 9 a.m. & planned to stop in Rapid City re truck. But, we missed the turnoff (Ron "knows" how to get there! yeah right!) and we decided to keep going. The truck seemed pretty good this a.m. -- silly thing! (though always was better at highway speeds.) So we are heading towards Yellowstone.  We'll see, I believe much of the park was closing at the end of Sept, so I'm not sure what we'll end up doing.

Relaxing!

It's "Miller Time" here in SD. We just got back from a ride along the bike path. This time we drove the "upgrade" first, so coming home was the BEST !! One hardly had to pedal ! One thing about those rail beds they never have much more than a 6% grade, but you can certainly "feel it" when it's non stop uphill!

The scenic tour we did to Custer State Park this morning was AWESOME! It's called the "Needles Highway" and I don't think I've ever been on such a spectacular drive. Again your narrow twists and turns (we aren't pulling the trailer by the way. We are doing side tours from our campsite) plus all these narrow and pointed rock columns jutting to the sky (needles!) and then throw in a colored tree or two -- wow ! It's hard to describe and pictures don't do it justice!

Once at the State Park, we took in the pancake breakfast and wandered through all the craft exhibits (and we only spent $6. if you can believe it!). Everybody is really hyped up for the buffalo roundup and the crowds are picking up! We drove the wildlife loop and saw the buffalo but we won't stay for the roundup.The traffic & lineups will be unbearable and we don't have the patience!

We paid for an extra night - tomorrow but we have to move as this site was reserved. We will then go to Rapid City on Monday and *ahem* get the truck looked at AGAIN !! This is getting very frustrating, but the pulsating or power surges seem to be getting worse at low speeds. I did some research on the internet and think our truck computer needs an upgrade. One mechanic had mentioned this in passing, but we thought we could wait until home. I think the new throttle control that was put in has lead to this.  It solved one problem and created another!

Well enough computer time.... cheers!

It's FRIDAY!!

We had a busy and enjoyable day. Spent all morning at Mt. Rushmore "with the Presidents". Found the displays, videos and reading all so very interesting.

It's incredible how they ended up with those huge sculptures by setting off dynamite charges and drilling bits at a time. Just the logistics of working on the side of a mountain in the 1930's, poor funding etc. etc. It's AMAZING! and such likenesses!

We'd packed a lunch, so we sat in a park in Keystone and then did a tour of the Rushmore Cave -- stalactites & stalagmites. Ron REALLY enjoyed the tour. It took me a bit to overcome my claustrophobic feelings and "hear" what the guide was saying.  It was a different experience for sure!

We took in some of the shops in Keystone, but quickly found one was pretty much the same as the next one, so didn't spend too much time there! It was on to a scenic drive through Custer State Park. Very pretty with the colours! One section of the road has vehicle restrictions. It was very steep, narrow and winding. Some tunnels were single lane only and you had to blow your horn as you drove through. There were some great views and we stopped many times for a longer look. We saw the presidents & Mt. Rushmore from a distance.

The Fifth Head

This is the weekend of the big annual buffalo roundup at the park. The herd is corralled for testing, branding & sorting with some being auctioned off. We are undecided if we will stay. Last year there were 11,000 people in attendance!! We will, however, take in some of the festivities starting tomorrow - entertainment, craft booths etc....

We ended the day with a 17 km bike ride on the converted rail bed trail behind our campground. We drove in to Hill City and back. A nice ride on a great path. We'll try the other direction tomorrow.

as I said, it was a busy day.  We are now planning for tomorrow's activities.

Hill City, SD - Mt. Rushmore et al

Crooked Creek Campground
Site #56 - $27, p/w/s, Internet

We are now in the Dakota Black Hills, not too far from Mt. Rushmore. We had 2 campgrounds in mind near Keystone but they were closed so we continued along a county road which we knew would take us to Hill City. The road got quite narrow, winding and fairly steep.. It was not the best choice for pulling a big RV!

Anyway, we made it here and we did see some beautiful countryside!! We had to stop at a railway crossing for the old 1880 train that does public tours along that route, so that was cool to see. This train has been on several westerns over the years and for a week in August it becomes "Thomas" the beloved engine for the broadcasting of the kids TV program, "Thomas & Friends"!

So we have paid for 3 nights and will do a few tours, starting with Mt. Rushmore tomorrow.  We are excited to tour this area!

a P.S.

Farm Island Recreation State Park
Site #23 - $14 (with pass), p only

This past stretch felt like we were driving through Southern AB.  There is a lot of dry looking pastureland - lots of cattle. Also we drove through many Indian reservations! It's warmer with windmills on the horizon again.  So you guessed it.... Wind !! It was a bit of a tough drive with lots of fuel consumed.

Anyway, we arrived at our destination.  It was a bit of a letdown. It sounded so WONDERFUL in the book, but it's not as nice as the last stop. Oh well, we are on the Missouri River and there is a nice paved bike path in to Pierre. We'll check out what Pierre has to offer when we get fuel. We may only be here 1 night!

South Dakota

Lake Herman State Park
Site #? - $19 ($5. park fee, $14 camp) State Pass $23

So we are in South Dakota now.  It is probably about straight south of Winnipeg. I think I'm glad to be out of Minnesota. We passed mile after mile of windmill farms, so that tells you something.  It's a windy windy state! One also kind of wonders when you receive a campground map with the town's two "Storm Shelters" clearly marked on it!!? It was very hot while we were there however. It was the first time we left windows and vents open all night and we still found it too warm for sleeping.

The countryside looks very much like our Can. prairie's except here you see miles and miles of corn fields and beans (soy, maybe?) rather than the wheat & grain crops. Also, lots of silos.

Just before hitting the SD border we had another downpour. The temp dropped from 29C to 17C instantly.  And us in shorts and tank tops!

This State Park is near Madison. It's a beautiful park on a peninsula in to the lake. We decided it was worth a second night's stay. Glad we did as we got to watch a commercial fishing operation at work.  The nets were set up in front of our campsite when we woke up and after our morning bike ride we were able to watch them "tighten the nets", plus sort and count all the fish which took all afternoon. They ended up with 3300 carp (and buffalo fish I think they said??) which we assume they wanted 'cleaned out' of the lake and which will be shipped live to a canning plant. We didn't know anyone ate carp, but it's popular in the Jewish communities we were told. They didn't finish and the fish were "corralled" in 2 separate net/pens for the night, so they will be back this a.m. We were so disappointed they hadn't come back before we left at 9:15 as we would have liked to have seen the completion -- how they would "pack up" 3300 huge fish???  It was very interesting and cheap entertainment!

Today the sun is shining and it's a little warmer again. We aren't planning on going very far today. There is supposed to be a nice "camping & recreational area' near the state capitol of Pierre, SD, so that is our destination.  It is just a couple hrs. down the highway.  From there we will head to the Black Hills & do the "touristy" things there -- see Mt. Rushmore etc.

PS and oh yes, did I mention the new fuel pump didn't stop the pulsating. It seems to only happen when we are pulling at lower speeds.  It works fine on the hwy once we get passed the 50km.

later Monday

We are considering ditching the " I <3 my truck " license as the truck is still being a pain!! It started "pulsing" as we left the campground this morning, so we stopped at the local Chrysler dealership. 

Of course, we had to disconnect the 5th wheel so they could drive it in the shop. They talked like they only had to finish up 1 vehicle and they would then have a look at it.

However we sat for 1 1/2 hrs. before they even checked it. Of course it didn't pulse when they took it out without the 5th wheel. Anyway, they did change the fuel filter as "maybe' that was the problem and it hadn't been changed for 2 years! Definitely thinking it's time to retire that 10 yr. old beast!?

Kiesler's in Waseca, Minnesota

Kieslers Campground & RV

Site #K4 - $22, p/w/s, Internet $2., Temp 32 C

We stopped early at 2:30 p.m. Just passed Rochester (where we had stopped for lunch) and south of Minneapolis somewhere! We've been sticking to secondary highways rather than the interstates. We saw a spot that looked good pulled in. It was Kieslers Campground actually (!) and it was on a lake with a bike path around the lake. The temp was 30C, so where better stop than at a beach! It was a little bit windy, but we are loving the hot weather! It's hard to believe it's the first day of fall and curling has started in some communities back home!

We enjoyed the bike ride around the lake and a late supper (cooking by flashlight). I think it's getting darker earlier. (It's probably the reason we were in bed by 9 p.m two nights ago!! )

We opted for the cable TV and the 72 stations rather than the fire as it was still pretty windy when we were finished supper. Ron got his fill of channel surfing and we caught the highlights of the Green Bay Packer game that we missed live!! (Greg & Kim can't imagine our being there and not taking in a game, let alone some festivities or 'tailgating'!!) It would be nice to get some Can. news for a change though!

Internet was available at the campground for $2./day, but I didn't want to pay. (yes, I'm CHEAP) We haven't paid extra for it yet, and not about to start! I'll continue to do my emails sitting at a red light in some small town. Gotta love those unsecured sites!!

We were back on the road by 9:30 a.m. today with no planned destination in mind.

Another day . . .

and we continue on.  We will probably get through Wisconsin today and in to Minnesota - Rochester area.

Ron was back to the campground by 11 a.m. and we left Green Bay by noon yesterday. The fix took a little longer because when the mechanic opened the box it contained a used part. He was pretty upset and not sure how that happened. Anyway, they drove 1/2 hr to another town and got a "new" part. I am sure glad that one was available because in Toronto there were 123 on back order!!
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Roche-a-Cri State Park
Site #15 - $12, n/w (Park Fee $10), Temp 24C

We spent last night at a nice State Park "Roche a Cri" or Rock with crack near Friendship, Wisconsin. There is a large rock mound in the centre of the park where there apparently are Native American petroglyphs and pictographs, which we didn't see. People would climb this cliff for the view. Now it is accessible by stairs. 303 or them! I can't believe we actually climbed them all. I was going to quit 1/2 way but Ron continued on and I didn't want to miss out so up I went.



You certainly could see for hundreds of miles, but mainly just treetops which hadn't turned color yet. I'm not sure the climb was worth it. And going down was a real knee killer for me!

After supper we sat around the fire. We were both pretty tired after an early morning, long drive and stair climb.  We decided to have our showers and head to bed. We were laying there and Ron says "I wonder what time it is?" I looked at my clock and it was 9:10 !!! We had quite a chuckle.  Old folk.

Green Bay, WI Truck Repairs & Laundry

Apple Creek Campground (De Pere, WI)

Site #13 - $31, p/w, Internet

I'm sitting at the campground just out of Green Bay waiting on a couple of loads in the laundry. Ron is at the Dodge dealership hopefully getting the truck repaired. They were booked up, but said they'd slot us in if he had the truck there by 7:30, so Ron was on his way at 7 a.m. We did a trial run last night even though he insisted he 'knew the way"  Well, one wrong exit and a couple of turnarounds and we finally found the place!! So yes it was good we did the trial run!

I'll never understand him.  He WON'T ask for directions -- We sat at a Walmart for 1/2 hr. while he studied maps and tried to find a campground, but wouldn't ask anyone or call the dealership to find out where exactly THEY were located -- which exit to take etc., and if there was some camping in the area! And yet he asks the lady in our next camping spot if she has any extra Green Bay tickets and when she says "no", he says "couldn't you leave your husband at home?" Go figure -- we KNOW he's not shy!! What's with men and asking for DIRECTIONS!!??

After locating the dealership last night we stopped at a "super" Walmart and picked up a few supplies. It's open 24 hrs. We had considered 'camping' there for the night, but with no other units on the lot, we weren't sure. (Someone assured us later that it is quite acceptable in US - same as Canada) Oh well, I think I'd rather be sitting at the campground in the sun doing laundry.  

It was SO hot at 32C when we arrived, but we had huge winds and a big downpour in the evening. There were tornado warnings in some areas -- glad it didn't get THAT bad.

If Ron is finished early enough, we will leave Green Bay, this afternoon. I'm sure he will be busy checking out the NEW trucks as he waits. I know there were some 'long boxes' that caught his attention last night!

Back here at the campground, laundry is almost done.  Signing off . . 

Green Bay it is . . .

The fall colors were much more prominent leaving "the Soo" --- gorgeous!! Unfortunately it continued to pour buckets for the first hour of our trip. Visibility was not good! I can't remember the last time I saw it rain SO hard for SO long! Also, the truck "cut out" twice on us before we had even left the campground so that was a little nerve-racking. We wondered if we were going to be leaving after all, but it's been running good since. It is not fun having that issue hanging over our heads! One is afraid to pass in case you lose power when facing oncoming traffic !! Sure hope we can get it resolved soon!

Later: We originally planned to go 1/2 way to Green Bay and spend the weekend somewhere on Lake Michigan. Then to Green Bay on Monday regarding the truck. However we verified the truck part is available in Green Bay and they will slot us in at 7:30 a.m tomorrow - (Saturday)  Now we will "make tracks" and drive all the way. I'm hoping the fix is quick and it is indeed the cause of our problem!! It was very difficult to drive by all the nice campgrounds we saw on Lake Michigan !! I would have loved to have spent some time on the lake!

Leaving Sault

Well, it's pouring rain this morning.  It is not fun packing up wet, however, Ron is out doing the jacks now and I guess we will continue on. It looks like we may go to Green Bay area (how about that Greg!) as we think they have the truck part there. I have an email in to them now. Also Ron may look up an old school buddy (Lorraine Rodgers - for you Kesslars that remember her) from his Mazenod days. She is close to GB.

We spent nearly 3 hrs. at the locks last night watching 2 huge ships go through. It is pretty amazing to see how fast the water can rise the 21 ft to put them through.  Also, it is interesting to watch the boat traffic go by.  The fishing must be good. There are a lot of fisherman out there!

anyway must go. It's my job to back up the truck and hitch up.

Sault, USA

Soo Locks Campground
Site #? - $22US, p/w, Internet

We arrived at Sault Ste. Marie, the US side, Michigan. We had planned on going further down the road, but it is already 4:30 p.m.  We didn't make good time today with all the road construction. We did have one loss of power to the truck just out of Sudbury.  We pulled over to the side of the road, re-started and it seems fine again. Weird thing. It might be time to trade this truck in!! Too many miles on the odometer and things are starting to go!

This was our best trip through US customs yet.  We didn't have to show them our fridge or anything in the 5th wheel. We answered a few questions and he told us to go! I'm sure we aren't supposed to bring wood, but he didn't ask about that (and now I'll dig my lemon & lime out of the garbage can (in baggies!)

So this campground is right on the water at the locks and we got the LAST site available! (Our site is not as nice as the water sites.  We are road side, so we will likely have road noise to contend with! There is a campground just down from here, but they are also full -- some RV rendezvous taking place apparently. Anyway, we will watch the ships come up the locks and do a bit of grocery shopping for oranges, etc!!

Wednesday & Thursday

Horseshoe Lake Campground & Cottages
Site #L2 - $31.80, p/w, Temp 30C & muggy!

Wed. 4 p.m. - We arrived at Horseshoe Lake, just south of Parry Sound. Made it all the way with NO truck problems. We just hope it continues! We started following signs to a campground just before this one and the road got narrower and narrower to one lane traffic only and then proceeded down a steep hill.  There was no warning and no where to turn around. (Man it seems like we get ourselves in to these situations lots!!) Anyway we finally found a little area at the bottom of the hill and got turned around. It was a bit of a struggle (and a whole lot of stress!) to get out of there and up the hill again. But the old work horse made it!!

Further down the road we arrived at this place. It's a nice quiet spot on the lake. The only other campers were in a rental motorhome and were from Vienna Austria. We sat on the beach and had a visit with them. After supper we sat around the fire.
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Thursday a.m:  Today we continue north to Sault Ste. Marie (to get around the lakes!) and then will cross the border later this afternoon if all goes well! The weather has been great, however, it certainly cools off in the evening and mornings! I'm still trying to get used to the humidity. It is quite a change from MH!

Family Tree Discoveries

so that interesting info I came across today was that grandpa Shook had more siblings than the one I discovered a few years back.

I had mentioned the Pearl Shook that was born before grandpa. Well, it turns out there was a Charles Shook born in 1905 that only lived for about 8 hrs and another Pearle Shook born in 1906 who I assume died as a baby, but couldn't find the death certificate!!

Isn't that something.  Noone ever talked about it, but maybe Grandpa didn't even know!!

Brockville, ON

And we are having more truck problems. The throttle cuts back to an idle and we lose all speed. It eventually 'picks up' again but it is a little inconvenient! This has now happened about 4 times. We figure we really weren't out of fuel back at Sault Ste Marie.

We took it to the dealership this a.m. and there are no parts in ON so it can't be fixed anytime soon. You think maybe it's an known issue?  We decided will continue our trip and hope for the best. Hopefully we will find this part as we go. (maybe in the US)

So while our truck was in the shop, we spent the day at the library and genealogical room that is located in the museum. I did find some interesting family info. We took our lunch break at a nice little deli in downtown Brockville.

Now we are on our way back to the campsite. We will pack up and leave in the morning.

Monday Eve in Mallorytown, ON

Rockport Lighthouse Campground
Site #22 - $31.80 (x2), p/w/s, Temp 19C

I'm feeling rather lost not having a baby over my shoulder this evening! Things are pretty quiet with just Ron & I now. We were getting pretty comfy with our daily 'grandparent routine" and we will certainly miss it!!

We didn't drive very far today. We were set up at our campsite just past Brockville, ON by 1:15 p.m. We took the scenic route along the St. Lawrence River and really enjoyed the view!! We drove through some pretty 'quaint' towns with lots of old and beautiful buildings. This is the "1,000 Island" region. There are all these tiny rock islands with a lone cottage/home built on it. The only access is by boat. Cool !!

So we picked up a few groceries and went for a bike ride along the bike path. The library wasn't open, so we'll head there tomorrow and check out the geneological section. We will likely stay a 2nd night.

Leaving Ottawa

Well, we are leaving Ottawa this morning. It is always tough to say goodbye. We will really miss those little ones!!

We will spend tonight in the Brockville area south of here and we will see if we can find any of my grandfather's (Shook) family records.  From there we will head to the US, crossing the border at Sault Ste Marie. We'll take our time, go to the Black Hills et al!

Sunshine Day

It's always a little bit of a break here when Connor goes down for his nap at 1:30.  The baby is snoozing also.  Ron just took the truck to see if he could get an oil change and Kim is doing laundry -- that never ending job !

It rained most of yesterday but sun is shining today. We went for a walk and then to the park to play on the swings & slide. Ron took Connor out in the rain yesterday. He loves to be outside.



                      Watching Dad play hockey
Other than that, not much else is new. Our days centre around the kids and their schedules. Connor goes to bed about 8:30 so we get our visits in with Greg after that. I think he is taking Friday off and we may go to the science centre.

Beer Break

Ottawa & Connor's Birthday!

Guess what??  We are pretty busy here! I am taking a few minutes now while everyone is having a nap except Grandma! (Though I feel like I could, my eyes are pretty heavy right now!!) Connor 'goes down' at 1:30, so I have the sleeping baby with me, so mom can have a nap. Dad is at work and Grandpa is lying down in the 5th wheel.

It was a bit of a 'tight fit' backing in to the driveway with the tree on either side, but with a bit of maneuvering, Ron made it.  It is much nicer to be parked close than commuting to and from the campground which is 1/2 hr. out. We can't open the slide, but that's not a big deal as we are mainly just sleeping & showering in here. So, since arriving Sat. There was the prep and then Connor's birthday on Sunday. It was a Construction Theme. How cute it that!?

The kids all got 'hard hats' and little orange aprons (free from Home Depot) when they arrived. There were signs and caution tape around the yard. "Kid's at Work" hung over the sandbox and Greg & Ron picked up a bag of gravel so there was even a 'gravel pit'. Kim made a 'dump truck' cake with crushed up oreos in the back for 'dirt'. That was quite an ordeal -- I won't go in to big details, but she was up until 1 a.m. Sat night trying to get it all together! Icing melting off and one side fell over after it was half iced!! I felt bad for her, but it ended up turning out so very cute!

This morning Ron & I took the kids for a walk. Ron pushed Connor on his new tricycle and I had the baby in the stroller. 

The days are going by so quickly. And it's always very busy!