We decided to take the country route on the way to The Battle of Little Big Horn National Monument. On this trip, in taking back roads, we’ve had such special memories. God had another one in store for us.

The next morning, we rolled into the monument grounds bright and early. We ate breakfast, and then headed off to do some soaking up of history.

The photo on the top right shows Last Stand Hill, where George A. Custer died with his men. The bottom right shows the trees along the Little Big Horn River. On the other side of the river is where Crazy Horse and other chiefs had their combined village of over 2,000. The monument on the left names each US soldier that died that day in less than two hours. Seven hundred fifty men.

This monument below honors all the Indians who fought that day. There were no winners in this battle. Only losers. The US Army lost many men who died brutal deaths. The Indians would eventually lose their way of life due to the swift retaliation of the US government. Heartbreaking loss.

As you walk along, you see white marble gravestones marking where soldiers were killed.

After leaving the battlefield, it was time to head to camp.

Friday morning, we took off for the Keystone area of the Black Hills. We had some famous faces to see.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is an ongoing project that is more than just the carving of this famous chief out of a mountain. It’s also become a university and museum. There are many artifacts to read and learn about.

Then it was on to Mount Rushmore.

Have you ever wondered why it’s called Mount Rushmore, when it has presidential faces on it? Albert did, too, and asked around. It turns out there was a lawyer from back east out visiting the area. He saw the mountain and wondered what it was called. The Indians had different names for it, but nothing really official. The man’s last name was Rushmore, and he decided to claim the mountain as his namesake. He went back home and told everyone there was a mountain with his name on it, and it stuck.

Gutzon Borglum was the artist and sculptor for this project. Korczak studied under him and even helped with the carving of Mount Rushmore before taking on his own project.

After our fun day in the Black Hills, we headed to TeePee RV Park. Cute Bob and Peggy run the place. And their five cats…whose names include Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Bob is a real character, and loves to joke around. When you leave the RV park, there’s a sign you drive by that says “Toll Road”. He also told the boys they were to be leashed at all times and Albert and I had to pick up after them. Ean thought that was really funny. The park is for sale, by the way, in case any one is interested in owning one in Rapid City. After twenty-eight years of running the place, Bob and Peggy are ready for retirement.
That night, a huge windstorm blew through. It was shaking Big Boy as we watched COURAGEOUS. Several neighbors had tents pitched, and the wind was trying to tear them down. Albert and I along with a few others, went through camp taking down the tents and trying to secure the belongings of the owners. Most of them were gone to a concert in Sturgis. The wind was so strong, we had to fight it with all our strength. It was a new experience for us. Challenging, yet exciting. And thankfully, the next morning, no one had lost anything.

We attended the Rapid City SDA Church and at potluck, met a couple who winter in Apache Junction.
That afternoon, we explored around Canyon Lake Park.

Bob had suggested we visit the Chapel in the Hills. It was built in Norwegian tradition and is a work of art! No metal at all, just wood.

We ended the evening back at our favorite tennis/track park.
When our friends, the Fenzels, heard we would be in the Rushmore area, they said to be sure to visit Bear Country. Before leaving town, that’s exactly what we did!

Bear Country also has other animals…

Then it was on toward our next destination…

The Badlands look like they belong in a Doctor Seuss book. Before getting to them, you’re driving through flat praries or gently rolling hills. And then, all of a sudden, you start seeing these interesting shaped spires portruding up from the ground. And jagged, layered mounds. I’m not a Trekkie, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they filmed episodes out here!

After spending time out in the dry, hot Star Trek set, we headed for Wall Drug. The boys had to go there at least once in their life!

Rapid City was our final destination for a long weekend. That evening, we visited Dinosaur Park and while up there, spotted a beautiful park facility down in the valley.

We drove to the park and spent the rest of the evening playing tennis on their beautiful courts, running the track, and eating dinner. It was simple and lovely!

 

We began our week in a new state. Somewhere none of us had ever been before. Nebraska.

We crossed the border from Iowa into Omaha. We made one stop there at the Joslyn Castle. It’s been a part of the city since 1903.

Below are photos of what the home looked like when they lived in it.

Eleven months after construction first began, the Joslyns moved in! Amazing, even by today’s timelines of home building. Be sure you’re sitting down before reading the next sentence. Are you sitting? All the wood used in the home was brought in in plank or beam form and hand-carved and fitted right there during the building!! And all within that eleven months!!! They had artisans from around the world working on their home non-stop. The locals said it was like a busy ant hill. If you’re familiar with the story of Solomon’s temple being built in the Bible, with thousands of workers working, it was probably like that on a smaller scale. The staircase in the bottom left picture is made of Spanish mahogany. That wood is no longer available anywhere in the world, and their whole dining room and foyer are made from it. The top right photo is made from wood found in Thailand. All the carving is so intricate — and it was done by hand!! In eleven months!!!!

There were so many details everywhere. These are ceilings in two of the rooms

This light fixture is also original to the home. And the front door weighs 1800 lbs!!

The home across the street from the castle (below), belonged to a high-ranking military official. There was a tunnel running underground between the castle and this home. The military man let George in on news right when it happened, helping George become a newspaper mogul. The right photo shows a brick street in front of the castle. I’m sure George and Sarah rode their horses on it.

Before leaving Omaha, we made sure Mel got her time at an off-leash dog park.

She had a blast running in freedom and got so muddy, Albert gave her a bath. To help her dry off, we went for a walk. We’d heard some live music coming from somewhere and went on an expedition to find it.

We got back on the road and headed for Lincoln. There is another Advenist college there, Union College, and we were curious what it looked like. We’ve had several friends attend, but never had the opportunity to see it ourselves. The campus was very beautiful. So many tall, mature, shady trees. And there are several shopportunities across the street.

Our last stop was Camp-away Campground. The boys had fun playing basketball and climbing trees while Mel enjoyed some more dog park time.
The next day, we headed to the Sunken Garden. It’s a beautiful, Butchart Gardens-like oasis in town.

Next was a used book store. Dayne is still on the hunt for some special books, but alas, just a few days earlier, they’d sold several books to another boy. But we found some other treasures, including some new friends. The bookstore people were so friendly and kind.

It was lunchtime, which meant Valentino’s pizza. When my sister and I were younger, my mom had a friend who was from Lincoln. She’d always rave about Valentino’s pizza. When coming to visit in CA, her mom would sometimes bring a Valentino’s pizza on the flight. I’d always wondered if pizza could be that good. Thankfully my sister reminded me where we were, in Lincoln, home of Valentino’s. Oh, yeah! We’ve got to try it! So we visited the University of Nebraska campus where they have a Valentino’s in the student food court. It was yummy. I could’ve eaten two more slices, but the one was delish. The crust was so soft and filling. The sauce just right. And they aren’t skimpy on the toppings. It was well-covered. Every bite was tasty. I’d take it on a plane!

Outside the Student Center, they also had hammocks. The boys really enjoyed them!

We felt the need, the need for speed, so we made our last stop at the American Museum of Speed.

It is filled with three floors of the Smith family collection. Some of the cars and other items are on loan from other owners, but most of it is from the life-long passion of Bill “Speedy” Smith’s collecting.

Albert enjoyed being on a tour given by Duane. Duane also has a passion for sharing his years of experience of being around cars. They also have working machine shops in the museum, as shown below.

The boys and I decided to skip the tour and do our own thing, so Albert could enjoy listening without feeling like he was keeping us. We found plenty to do, including some racing of our own. And we found some relics from the past.

We drove out of Lincoln and spent the night in Mason City. The boys had already gone to bed by the time we pulled in after midnight, and Albert and I were looking forward to hitting the hay for some deep sleep. Alas, it was not to be.

Across the street from the park, you couldn’t help but notice this adorable, old building. It has a beautiful new black metal roof and an artistic metal sign out front. I thought it was a restaurant. I told Albert I was going to walk up and take some pictures of this beautiful structure and be right back. Famous last words.
As I rounded the corner, there was a friendly woman taking items from her car into the store. We got to talking about this beautiful structure and I asked when the store would open. Come to find out, this was no store, but her studio! She asked me if I’d like to come in for a look around. Um, yes, please!! The next half hour was so fun. Lisa has such a beautiful collection and sells around the world. The most beautiful part was her warm and welcoming personality. She’s in the process of rebranding, but if you’re into Peruvian photography (she was delighted to meet Albert) and other unique international pieces, look for Chasing the Rosetta Sun online later down the road.

After our visit with Lisa, we continued on down the country road. It took us through Broken Bow, NE. Doesn’t that name just ooze coolness?! It was the largest town we drove through, and Albert found a fun community water recreation center. We spent a couple of hours there.

Our day ended just across the South Dakota border in Martin.

 

 

Sabbath morning, we drove across the border into Watertown, SD. We had a wonderful time attending church there, and even found out this was the home church of one of our coworkers at a previous school we used to teach at.

After potluck, we left with every intention to make it to Sioux Falls, and specifically Falls Park. But we never made it.
Albert noticed a sign on the interstate that said “DeSmet, SD, childhood home of Laura Ingalls Wilder”. I hadn’t realized we were so close. Well, 43 miles away. Albert, knowing how much I’ love it, insisted we go find out. Well, long story short, we made it to DeSmet (dee-SMEHT), walked around town and saw some historic things, visited with the Visitors’ Center girl, drove out to the Ingall’s Homestead, camped for the night on their land, woke up the next morning, and had an absolutely magical time. Forgive all the pictures. It was just that special.

If you’ve read ON THE SHORES OF SILVER LAKE, DeSmet is the setting for the book. Here’s some of the town.

(Click on each picture to see it bigger.)

 

 

 

This is a working farm, using only the machinery and customs the Ingalls family would’ve used. The homestead also has kittens running around, wanting to play and be loved on. They were so precious. It was hard to contain our joy. Spending time with them was priceless. And made it hard to leave…

 

A sod home below…

 

We took a covered wagon ride out to the school house, and got to take turns driving the team.

 

 

 

A view of the homestead from up on the tower.

 

Some more pictures of our time there…

 

Eventually, we made it to Falls Park and thouroughly enjoyed it. Ean LOVED rock hopping and wished we could stay there allllllll day.

 

 

None of us have ever been to Fargo, or North Dakota, for that matter. The funny thing is, even though we’re seeing lots of new places, I still have preconceived pictures in my mind of what those places will look like. One thing I’ve loved about this trip is seeing how wrong I can be.
I always thought Fargo would be flat, no personality.

It was a fun coincidence we were in Fargo the same weekend as the Blue Angels and Water Dogs.

We stopped at one last dog park before leaving Fargo. Melbee met a black German Shepherd named Ruby. They hit it off! Mel loves to run, and Ruby loves to chase – what a perfect combo! They ran until they were panting like helicopters (that’s what Ruby’s dad called it). Then they’d rest a little bit and run some more. Both doggies loved the time they spent together.

Our first stop in St. Paul was a dog park. Melbee was looking forward to some Rupert runs! Then she’d be ready to nap while we were in here…
Our #1 reason for stopping here was JM Cremp’s – the adventure store! The boys have received their catalog for several years now, and love pouring through it. It’s not long before the cover has come loose from the rest of the magazine. They get out their notebooks and pencils and make their wish list. Then they add up their grand total. Then talk about how much they want to save up to buy the things on their list. That’s pretty much as far as it goes, because what kid can save hundreds of dollars very quickly. But they have so much fun. So when it came time to plan this trip, the Mall of America got a pin in the map. We all knew this was one stop we weren’t going to miss!

Then we headed for the center of the mall. This part used to house Camp Snoopy, a really cute amusement park. But to keep up with fickle consumers, it’s now Nickelodean’s Universe. The boys were wowed by roller coasters in the mall. Different rides covered that huge space. We were pretty sure the boys wouldn’t be riding anything, but we decided to check the prices anyway. Albert and I decided we’d splurge a little and pay for one ride each for the boys.
We walked around so they could see all their options before making such an important decision. Brodee really wanted to ride the bumper cars, but since Dayne and Ean wanted to ride a roller coaster, he went along with them. And here’s where God worked another miracle for us.
Albert went with the boys up to the deck where they’d get I the ride. I went to a spot where I’d be able to catch the boys go by. When they did fly past, it wasn’t just the boys. Albert was riding, too! We’d only paid for three rides…how did that happen??

When he and the boys got to the ride entrance, an unmotivated employee asked them to do a favor for her. She didn’t want to have to walk all the way over (20 yds) to put the line chains back up. She told them that if they’d do it for her, they could all ride twice for free. So the boys kept their place in line while Albert spent 45 seconds doing this task. He walked back to the boys and asked, “Me, too?” “Yes”, she said. And that’s why I saw Albert and the boys zoom past. When they got off the ride, the boys grabbed me for round #2. It was so fun. And when that was all done, they still had their original tickets left to do a ride, so they did this…
Ean and Dayne got to ride their choice, Brodee got to do the bumper cars, and Albert and I got to ride. To do what we did would’ve cost $60, but we did it for the original price of the three rides. God is good! And He loves to love us individually. Specifically. That experience was just more proof.

 

After a disappointing meal at Chevy’s (it was nothing like our Chevy’s back in Santa Rosa), we headed to another off-leash dog park where there are acres of trails for dogs and their people to walk together.
Our day ended in the Glendale SDA Church parking lot.

The next morning we walked around a neighborhood lake.

Albert had chosen that church because it was so close to the sports venues in downtown Minneapolis. Below is the Minnesota Twins stadium.

 

The Minnesota Vikings stadium…

The purple metal football shaped things are the bike racks – cool idea!

After a quick stop at Costco, we beelined it for the Vikings Training Camp in Eagan.

They have a new training facility. It’s really impressive. And the venue for training camp is really fan-friendly. We’re not Vikings fans, necessarily, but we are footballl fans, so we really appreciate what the Vikings have done and what they offer the public. From the moment we got there, the friendly, helpful staff kept telling us, “Have fun, guys!” And they meant it. And we did!

Tuesday, we received wonderful news that Big Boy’s generator was fixed and ready to be reinstalled. Yay!! We’d been in Wisconsin for exactly a week, just about as long as we spent in FL. And thankfully, we’d been able to stay on schedule. It really was wonderful the way God worked it out.

After Big Boy’s cleanse, we stopped for more propane. Then it was on to Green Bay by way of Osh Kosh.

Then it was on to Cummins for the generator installation. Now here’s another little “I love you” from God. We’d dropped the generator off exactly a week before, and almost to the hour. Last week, the boys and I had enjoyed sitting in the waiting room with Mel. The AC was so nice, and their comfy couches made the wait, well, comfy. But the best part? The show-stopper? They had a TV, and “The Great British Baking Show” was on. It’s one of our favorites! And we got to watch it!!!! The timing of the install put us right back in that waiting room one week later with “The Great British Baking Show”! We got to watch it again. It was so fun.
After leaving Cummins regenerated (ha, ha, ha), we headed to our favorite Green Bay grocery store, Woodman’s. Albert loves their popsicle prices.

Big Boy wasn’t done being pampered. We had a spa date scheduled.

Then we parents made an executive decision. Back to Titletown!! We went back to the GB Packers’ community venue and had a lot of fun. The boys played football on the field again while Albert, Mel, and I walked some laps. Then the boys moved on to ping-pong while Albert, Mel, and I did Ariens Hill.

Leaving Sam’s sanctuary was sad. Who knows when or if we’ll ever make it back. But to have been there once is an honor.
We were off for HiPines, an RV park in Eagle River. The boys were wowed by all the fun things out the window as we drove in.

 

We left Eagle River for the Wisconsin Dells. We would be visiing Noah’s Ark Water Park the next day.

We stayed at the American Resort Campground, which was just another glorified parking lot, but in staying there, we got free tickets for the Timbuvati Animal Park, and were able to get into the water park for only $10 each. And since we have plenty of practice sleeping in parking lots, it was no big deal, especially if it meant saving money!

Noah’s Ark Water Park came after the zoo. Normally, we would have pictures of our adventures. But when one is screaming, holding on for dear life, and engaging in upgraded fun, taking pictures is far from one’s mind.

Whenever we stop at a state’s Welcome Center, the boys always browse the tourist brochures inside. Wisconsin was no exception. Inside one of the magazines, Ean had found an ad for Fort Dells Laser Ops. It’s laser tag with a military twist. Ean’s kind of twist. He’d cut the ad out and taped it to the fridge so as not to forget when we were in the Dells. The boys were very hopeful that after saving money on admission to Timbuvati and Noah’s Ark, we could squeeze in some Laser Ops. Needless to say, the boys had so much fun — more fun than at the water park, and that was fun!

We ate dinner in the parking lot later, watching the next group battle it out, then headed for Portage, WI, for the night.

Why does the blog always seem behind?

I’ve found being a blogger is really time consuming. And even more so when there isn’t a good internet connection. Many times, we have internet, but it’s slow, and honestly, WordPress isn’t a very fast site when you’re using the free subscription (beggars can’t be choosers). And then there’s always the thing of having time to catch up. At the end of some days, I’d much rather see my pillow instead of a computer screen 🙂

Do we always stay on schedule?

We have a calendar with a list of things we’d like to do on each day, but we also have flexibility. It’s worked out really well. We hit the for-sure things, and then improv on the other stuff. And we’ve also left room for downtime. That is a must when you’re doing something like this.

We’ve had some bumps in the road, but thanks to the wiggle room we gave ourselves, some of it unknowingly, God has helped us keep to our itinerary.

What do the boys do during all those hours of driving?

In the NPR radio interview, we were asked about “screen time”. Screen time isn’t something we deal with. The boys don’t have electronics and they don’t borrow our phones for any entertainment. Out Big Boy’s windows is a world they’ve never seen before. Practically each day we’re somewhere new. Albert and I want them to see and remember. They love soaking up new surroundings.

We brought a box of about forty-five books and have added to the collection through the miles. They love to read and do it a lot. We’re running out of books!

We also love listening to dramatic stories – Your Story Hour, G. A. Henty stories from Heirloom Audio, Adventures in Odyssey, Discovery Mountain and Lamplighter Theater. Listening to these stories is like reading a book. We all get into it!

Every now and then we have a movie night. But we really didn’t bring any, so the only choices are the few our laptop has. Somehow, we’ve survived 🙂

Does Albert always drive?

He does the majority of driving when it comes to Big Boy. It’s just naturally settled into that. This gives me time to catch up on things or plan ahead, take care of anything the boys need help with, and help him navigate. I drive the rental cars when we get to big cities.

Do the boys always get along?

Nope. Nope. And nope. They’re brothers, and they’re human. We all get on each other’s nerves sometimes. But the nice thing about being in Big Boy, there are different spots they can all be in to have some separation and alone time. There’s pestering, teasing, and bothering, so this helps give some space. They try most of the time, and we appreciate it!

Where does everyone sleep?

There’s a bedroom in the back for mom and dad. Melbee sleeps on the bedroom floor. The boys take turns rotating between the bunk over the cab, the couch bed, and the dinette bed.

How does Melbee pass the miles?

What do you eat?

We eat most of our meals in Big Boy. I brought lots of oatmeal and cream of wheat, our usual breakfasts at home, but we’ve ended up eating a lot of cold cereal because of time and easy clean-up. If we have lunch, it’s usually sandwiches, and then dinner is usually salad and something else home-cooked and filling. Every now and then we eat out, especially if it’s Rick Bayless’s restaurant!

What do you do for fun?

Tennis, basketball, dog parks, swimming. The boys were playing a card game called Quiddler for the first few weeks. But we usually do things that don’t cost money unless it was on the original agenda.

How far do you drive each day?

It depends. We planned it so we’re not doing over 5 hrs, and that’s scheduled to happen only a few times. Other than that, we only drive a couple of hours at most.

What’s something you’ve enjoyed about the trip so far?

Ean – learning about the Young Marines. I want to check it out.

Dayne – horseback riding!!

Brodee – the rec center in Indiana was free. We had a lot of fun! And jumping off the Petoskey Pier with my brothers and friends.

Albert – The Blue Ridge Parkway was very unique. We didn’t need AC or reservations. Graveyard Fields was something I’d love to visit again. Watching the kids jump off the piers into Lakes Michigan and Huron was fun.

Christina – talking. We get to talk a lot while hiking, driving, sitting together. I love hearing my boys voices. I’m trying to capture this time forever in my Mama Memory. Ean will ask me, “You wanna hear something, Mama?” Always. Dayne will ask me, “Mama, did you know…?” No, I didn’t. Please tell me. Brodee will say, “Mama, I’m going to…” Thank you for sharing your plans with me.

What are you looking forward to about getting home?

Ean – seeing our kitty and finding out more about the Young Marines

Dayne – seeing family, friends, and our cat

Brodee – football and basketball season, seeing our cat and family, the library and the couch!

Albert – being with our kitty cat again

Christina – family, including our cat, and a full size shower