I can see for miles and miles...

At Tom's suggestion, we decided to have brunch at Sky360 restaurant at Calgary Tower. Yummy food at an amazing venue. Of special note was the glass floor bump-out in the observation deck. WOW!!!






















It's hard to step out on a transparent floor, 191 meters about the street. That's 626 feet for those of us from the US. I couldn't step out without holding on, even though that would make no difference in the world. Some of the others had the same problem. 

We had an great brunch, the first of many memorable occasions, to be sure. 

Before we left, we realized we needed to find out how many Spam cans it would take to reach the observation deck. Our trip to the Spam museum taught us the importance of Spam as a measure of...anything and everything.

Craig and Bob came up with 2483 Spam cans.

Drum roll please......191 meters is equivalent to 2313 cans of Spam. That my friend is a lot of canned meat.

Oh, Canada...

We landed in Calgary in the middle of a rain storm, after we all got separated and ended up on different routes with our myriad of GPS systems. A lot of stress but in the end, we arrived within 15 minutes of each other. Good practice for Alaska. At least there are fewer roads and fewer chances for a wrong turn. Hopefully.

While Van, Bob and Pam had some things to do; Tom, Paula, Craig and I decided to see the Canada Olympic Park. Craig and I have visited the US version in Park City and had a lot of fun. 



They had the usual luge and zip-line. Craig and Tom decided to conquer the luge. Ask Tom to explain how his high center of gravity was the reason he could not catch Craig. I think there will be a rematch.

Buffalo Jump...

This morning, we crossed the Canadian border with no issues. We encountered a friendly Border Service Agent and sailed through with no wait. The coaches reassembled at the Milk River Information Center where the two young ladies at the desk were a fount of information about the doings in Alberta. 









We elected to start at the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. This is an amazing world heritage site that chronicles the lives of the buffalo hunting plains tribes and the North American Bison.

The museum tells the story of the plains people before western expansion and after. Along with the story of the buffalo, brought to the brink of extinction by that very same expansion. A must see if you ever get up this way.






I don't know if you can see it, but the dark shapes on the carpet are bison.

Retail Therapy...

We are sitting in a nice city campground in Shelby, MT. We decided to stay overnight close to the border, for the trip through customs first thing in the morning. Wait times have been short or non-existent but you can't be too careful. We've reviewed the list of restricted items and hope we've caught everything. More about that after we are successful. Fingers crossed.


The last few days were spent in Billings, MT where there is another location of our new favorite store, Sheels. The gentlemen had a great shopping day and the ladies did a little trophy hunting. Just trying to shake things up. 


















Next post from the land of the Canucks, eh.

The Four Amigos...

After flinging themselves half-way across the country in about 5 days, Bob, Pam and Van finally caught us in Medora, ND. We are so happy they made it safe and sound. Since they spent days on the road and nights in the campgrounds, Van had no idea that a brake line on his truck had rusted through, rendering the truck useless. 

Nevertheless, we had a beautiful drive to our next campground in Billings, MT. We finally understood the idea of Big Sky Country.

But as is the way of 4 men who like to get things done, and know how to do them, it's a work day. The four worked all day to repair the brake line, only to have the others go bad. Huge bummer. But all is not lost. There are plenty of places to get parts and another day to fix it. 

Although we know these men can handle anything on the trip, we hope they won't have to. 

These boys are our heroes. 

 

The Enchanted Highway...

We arrived at Medora, ND. Home of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It's a beautiful park in the Badlands of North Dakota. Painted canyons and an impressive amount of wildlife, large and small. Tom and Craig oohed and ached over the size of the antelope. We also caught sight of a few elk in velvet. What a lovely way to end a travel day. 













The we decided to drive The Enchanted Highway. A 30 mile stretch of road to Regent, ND where a local metal worker and retired school teacher has created 7 giant metal sculptures. And are these things HUGE. The first one dwarfs Tom's jeep. It was a great drive to see the sculptures, even with the wind. We felt sorry for Bob, Pam and Van driving through it. We said prayers and they arrived safely. Now we are all together to start the next part of the trip of a lifetime. 

Don't cha know...

We made it to Fargo, ND. The famed city of movies and TV. Paula is becoming quite the tour director. She sent us to the Fargo Moorhead Visitor Center for one of the main attractions in the area. 

What you may ask? What is Fargo famous for? Plaid? Fur? Maybe. But I'm talking about the scariest garden tool ever. The Woodchipper. Yes, THE Woodchipper. If you've seen Fargo, you know what I'm talking about. We even posed for a photo with the infamous machine.

We found out that the family that started Sheels Sporting Goods is from Fargo. We discovered Sheels in Reno, NV. The store is more like a department store. They have everything, including a diner where Tom got an excellent elk Philly. They also have the best employees. We never had to look for someone to help us, and they were all friendly and knowledgable.

We bought jackets, scarves (mainly me because I can't have enough scarves), fishing equipment and Craig even bought me some Swarovski crystal. Okay, that was in the form of binoculars. Tom is still excited about the free hats. They tell us there is one in Billings, so you know where we will be in a few days. Ya, you Betcha!

Rollin' on the Mississippi...

When we started planning our route to Alaska, I wanted to see more than we usually do. We have been those Point A to Point B people in the past. Blasting past cool museums,fun festivals and roadside attractions. But not anymore. This time we took the Great River Road. 

We intercepted the Road in St. Louis and followed it all the way to the headwaters of the Mississippi in Itasca State Park in Park Rapids, MN. 

















Tom remarked that you don't think about where the rivers start. True. And to see the humble beginnings is a cool experience. We could span the river with just 4 people. Wow. And the lake was so beautiful. A great day.


No one walked across the rocks, except Craig of course. He loves to jump around and tempt fate. It is kind of his strength. 

Now we start across the Great Plains. Wagons, HO!

Not in Kansas anymore...

So we've had a few down days. We needed a chance to catch up on laundry, do some minor projects and, ummm, go the the Mall of America. Okay that was just for Paula and me. I think Craig and Tom went to Home Depot and Walmart.

Paula and I walked around 2 of the 3 floors and had a nice lunch. Found some jackets for our trip north. We even set off my Fitbit as we stepped out and headed back to the car. 10,000 steps in a mall. Cool.



Then we were on the Grand Rapids, MN not MI. Mostly to see my friends Gwen and Al. I met Gwen while working for the FAA during the Y2K hullabaloo. Good times. 

As usual though, we couldn't just leave a town without finding out what it is famous for. And Grand Rapids is the home of the Judy Garland Museum. A small museum and her charming childhood home. 













And of course the photo op. These photo boards are becoming a theme with us. 

We are on to the end of our journey up the River Road. Lake Itasca and the Headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River. Maybe not so mighty in this part of the world. 

A Field of...SPAM?

On the way to Minneapolis, we had to, I repeat, had to stop at the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, IA. It was just like we remembered from the movie. We all had a chance to stand on the pitchers mound and run the bases. The only thing missing was the field of corn. And Kevin Costner.





And then on to.....wait for it....The Spam Museum in Austin, MN. What you ask? A museum devoted to the amazingness that is Spam? Yes, there is such a place. A plethora of information about Hormel and Spam specifically. Who knew there were so many kinds of Spam? We did leave with a few types to try. We've decided to have a blind Spam tasting when we are all reunited on the road. Everyone had better brush up.





I also found out that I am 21 Spam cans tall. I'm not sure how that relates to my weight, but maybe I don't want to know.  

At an rate, when we stopped we scared the pants off the Spam folks. We decided to drive the motorhomes to both the Field of Dreams and the Spam Museum. As we parked, we were met by a nice young man with a Spam umbrella, making sure we were okay where we parked. If you haven't seen two motorhomes parallel parked, you haven't lived. The folks in the store saw us go by and couldn't believe it. Two more badges for Craig and Tom.

Architecture and Design...

As we came into Wisconsin, I discovered that Frank Lloyd Wright's House, Taliesin, was within an hour of our campground. I had to go. So Craig and I drove an hour to see his primary home in Spring Green, WI. It was beautiful and if I could live in this picture, I would. There were acres and acres of grass, and of course the amazing home, which is still occupied by staff and students at his school of architecture. A must see.










He even dammed a stream to make a pond in front of the house. Of course, he also created a way to supply electricity to the house from the small waterfall he created. I was mesmerized. Way ahead of his time. If I come back to Wisconsin, I'll see more of his work.







On the way back we stopped to see design of a different kind. The Dickeyville Grotto is an amazing collection of folk art around  the Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Dickeyville, WI. The display consists of several shrines made from found objects, created with incredible attention to detail. We all thought it was worth a visit









Even the birds got an amazing place to live. decorated with tile, stone and meticulous detail. Stop by if you have the chance.

In the World...

Before leaving the nicest city park we have ever seen, we decided to visit the largest truck stop in the world, The I-80 Truck Stop. You hear that and you think "come on, really?" Well, it was like a small city overall and the main building was the size of a Walmart, with three levels and two restaurants. Also a barber (where the boys got spruced up), a dentist, chiropractor...














And the bling. Be still my heart, or should I say Craig and Tom's hearts. Paula and I thought we might have to pull them away. You can get pretty much anything here. 

There is also a Trucking Museum with trucks going back to the turn of the 20th century. The museum is free and worth a visit.

Finally, we are on to Dubuque, IA. Well, actually staying at a cute park in Kieler, WI. Lovely people and a serene view out over the green fields. Tomorrow, Craig and I are on to Frank Lloyd Wrights home, Taliesin. I can't wait.

But the end of our day was a lot of fun. We visited the shortest, steepest scenic railway in the world. In Dubuque, of all places. The Fenelon Place Elevator was built so the mayor could have more time during lunch to take a nap. The things people will do. 

American Pickers...

Once we decided to head into Iowa, Tom wanted to visit the home of the American Pickers in LeClaire, IA, Antique Archeology. Two stores in one week. Sadly, the TV personalities were not in residence. But lots of cool stuff to see. And of course, a photo op...

Next it was on to the Buffalo Bill Museum. While the museum has a portion devoted to their favorite son, the majority of information was about regional history and life on the Mississippi. A steamboat display, memorabilia from LeClaire and of all things...













A display about the inventor of the flight recorder, James Ryan from the University of Minnesota in 1953. Also from LeClaire, IA. We loved the aviation reference. 

So many more interesting things to learn about America.

Can't wait.

So Show Me...

Our time in the Show Me state was well spent. Craig and I were able to visit long time friends John and Tim. I met John my first week in college, 36 years ago? What? 36 years? I'm amazed that it seems like yesterday. I miss them a lot.

After St. Louis, we decided to head west to Hermann, Mo. Hermann is wine country for the area. We heard there was a wine festival and decided to visit. We spent a lovely day visiting some of the wineries and tasting the fruit of their labor, so to speak.  Our last visit was to a lovely winery with a patio overlooking the Missouri river. Very relaxing and beautiful. 

On to Hannibal, Mo. A visit to Mark Twain's Boyhood Home and Museum proved an amazing amount of information about
Samuel Clemens' life. I will have to reread The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The museum gave us several photo opportunities. And yes we know we are in the opposite genders.  Becky and Tom, both ways?
















The museum also has an amazing collection of art by Norman Rockwell in the form of illustrations for the books about Tom Sawyer  and Huckleberry Finn. I have never seen so many in one place.

Of course no trip to the birthplace of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn would be complete without a little work painting a fence. Our boys were good sports and posed without complaint. Okay, without MUCH complaint. We are having a great time and looking forward to more adventures on the Mississippi River.

Up in the air...

Before we talk about visiting the Gateway Arch, let's talk about getting to the RV park. Craig and I have camped here before, and we had problems with finding it then. 

Well, yesterday was no different. We were trying out a new GPS and as navigator, I sent us on the wrong exit. We did not just take the wrong exit, we went over the bridge into downtown St. Louis. In two large motorhomes with toads. Two routes, three GPSs, and 4 meltdowns. 

To the left you see the street our GPS's sent us down. The streets are made of cobblestones, uneven and so narrow we almost didn't make it. Imagine getting to the end of this street and ahead is a sign that says "NO OUTLET". And to the right is another narrow, cobblestone street. Then a disabled car tried to keep Tom and Paula downtown. Ask them and they will tell you about the angel that helped them out of that mess. 

Both Craig and Tom earned driving badges that day.

Our happy ending was when we made it to the Arch. All the way to the top and Tom and Paula have the pictures to prove it. If you are planning a visit, you might want to wait till 2017. The city is in the middle of a major redo of the area. Streets are blocked and getting in and out is a bit of a nightmare. 

Especially if you are in a motorhome.  

Gateway to the Midwest...

More about St. Louis tomorrow, but for now we enjoy this view from our windshields...

Music City...

We met up with Tom and Paula for our journey north at Seven Points Campground near Nashville, TN. It is a nice campground, with lovely views of the lake. But as we discovered not necessarily "Big Rig Friendly". 

Tom and Paula had to be moved to a new site so they could open their slides. Then they scraped a tree while trying to leave. We had a problem not being able to get under low hanging branches. We were moved to a site where our motorhome could not be leveled and looked like a fun house inside (slanted floors) and finally ended up with a site with water pressure so low I could spit water into the coach faster. 

Oh, then our fancy surge protector decided to protect us from receiving power. What? Several calls to the company resulted in staying an extra day so that we could get the part to repair the unit. A lot for our first shot out of the gate.


What did we do in the meantime? We went to eat and drink in Nashville, that's what. Apparantly they do not believe in big parking garages. This is an example of a one way in, one way out garage with at least 5 floors. What do they do at the end the work day? We decided not to find out. But Tom earned the first of many driving badges for this trip.




We did visit Antique Archeology. Such a cool place and stuff you wish you could buy, if only you had a place to put it.

Then of course, on to downtown Nashville. Lots of good food and a great morning spent at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Definitely a place to go in you are in Nashville. We never knew how many types of music mingled with country music.

Of course Craig had to throw himself into the act. He does love all kinds of music.