7/14 Lots of cleaning to do this morning and preparation to unload when we get home. Wheels up at 11:07 Central Time. We didn't stop at all on the way home and got into South Lyon at

5:45 pm Eastern time. Started unloading and doing laundry. There's no place like home. Mileage at home 39,937; 3,109 miles traveled in 15 days. We put at least another 1,000 miles on the car. This last corn field is in IL. I don't think this country is going to run out of it anytime soon.

7/13 Climbed on top the motorhome to get the awning out and do a little duct tape repair to the A/C cover. We had pizza with the kids, Molly and Karen and then went to the pool. Molly had to leave and go to work so Karen and I took the kids to play miniature golf and play on the playground. Ed cooked some hamburgers for dinner but we had to move the picnic inside. We took Karen and the kids home and visited with Rob and Sharon before heading back to the coach. Another long but great day.

7/12 On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again...Out of the parking lot at 7:45 am just before the paving crew showed up. Very long day of driving; 512 miles across Minnesota, Wisconsin and into IL. We missed the Jolly Green Giant and the Corn Palace but that will give us something to look forward to when we go back out West again. We got into Jellystone Campgrounds near Yorkville, IL just before it started raining. The refrigerator is almost empty so Molly, Karen and the kids are bringing lunch and dinner tomorrow. We finished up the leftovers tonight.

7/11 We continued across South Dakota with a stop at Wall Drug and into the Badlands National Park. Well worth the stop. We parked the motor home and drove the car into the park. It took us nearly 2 hours for the short loop. Miracuously the coach was still there and we had lunch in a restaurant (only our 2nd meal out on this trip) before heading to another WalMart in Worthington, MN.

7/10 I put a pork roast in the crock pot before heading out for the day to see Crazy Horse and go to Custer State Park. The carving of Crazy Horse was started in 1948 by Korczak Xiolkowski and continues without funding from the Federal Government. We stopped on Sylvan Lake for a tailgate and to take in the scenery. We drove the Needles Higway with all of its hairpin turns switchbacks, and the Eye of the Needle tunnel. We took the Wildlife Loop Rd and it did not disappoint us with wildlife. First the donkeys and then the herds of American Bison. They were crossing the road right in front and beside us; I could actually touch them passing the car. Back to the RV around 4:30 pm.; long but great day of driving in the car.

7/9 We left WalMart at 7 am and traveled along the Big Horn Mountains and saw Cloud Peak; 13,167'. We stopped at a rest stop for lunch and saw the Bike across America group on their way from Seattle to Boston; not a young group at all. Got into the KOA just south of Rapid City, South Dakota at 2 pm; 350 miles. I used the washing machine for the first time and watched it like my favorite soap opera. We fixed some burgers on the grill before heading to Mt. Rushmore. The evening ceremony honoring America and our veterans was very moving.

7/8 Wheels up at 10:20 am. We stopped in Cheyenne, WY for lunch. We followed the Laramie Mountains all the way up to Evansville just south of Casper. We pulled in a Walmart about
4:30 pm. It was a very pretty drive. We saw antelope, deer and lots of snow fences; 269 miles.

7/7 Rainy day. The guys have a to-do list and I'm off to have lunch with Beth and to check out the Louisville Public Library where she works. Wade fixed dinner and we did a little pre shopping for a refrigerator. We had an ice cream at DQ before turning in for our last night in Colorado. Hope it doesn't take 10 years to come back again.

7/6 Beth went to work and Ed, Wade and I took Sarah and John to the airport. We went on to the Air Force Academy and Pike's Peak Nat'l Forest. It's another 2,000' higher than the summit in the RMNP. The altitude was bothering us again and we were wondering how the guys in dozers were managing construction on the road up there. Came back down and stopped to see Joe Sugrue at his home in Littleton. We went out for Mexican after Beth got home from work.

7/5 Clean and pack up to go back to Boulder. Beverly took a picture of all of us before heading out. Adults took one car and the kids the other. Beth's brother and sister-in-law came down to visit and we had a bit of home for dinner...Aunt Mary's lasagne!

7/4 Happy Birthday America! Spade made an awesome pancake breakfast and Dean brought over pictures of two bears spotted on the same road we traveled yesterday. We packed up a lunch and headed into the Arapaho Nat'l Forest up the Stillwater Pass. We stopped for a picnic and saw a small bull moose on Buffalo Creek. We watched the fireworks on a hillside overlooking Grand Lake with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. Too beautiful for words.

7/3 We all went for a walk with Izzy along the canal and then fixed some food to take to a HOA picnic on Columbine Lake. We took a drive into Grand Lake before heading back to the cottage. Later that afternoon we drove back into the park and saw lots of elk and a cow moose with her baby. We went back to Grand Lake for a late night snack before heading home again.

7/2 Beth and I went to the airport early and picked up Sarah. We came back home and headed up through the Rocky Mountain National Park to Granby. We had a picnic in the park before heading up Fall River Road to the summit; 12, 005'. We were a little light headed at this altitude. The neighbors, Dean and Beverly came over for a cocktail, we took a walk and then settled in and watched Sherlock Holmes before turning in.

7/1 We left around 11:30 am and arrived at Wade and Beth's around 4pm. Such a beautiful view of the Flat Irons from their living room. "THE" Spade dazzled us with his new hat. Let the laughter begin! Only had to drive 273 miles today.

6/30 Wheels up at 6:10 am and John driving. We stopped at the Windmill Museum in Elk Horn, Iowa. You can see how far we've come in design and technology for the use of wind power.

We saw some trucks carrying blades for these and they must be 60' in length. I must admit they were something to look at besides grain and corn. John did well getting us through DesMoines and Ed drove for awhile and then John took us into Holiday Campgrounds in South Platt, Nebraska; 507 miles

2010 Colorado Trip

6/29 Mileage 36,828 Left the house at 10 am and picked up John around 1:45. We drove until 6:45 pm and stopped at mm #208 in Iowa at the John P. Grinnell Rest Area. John P. was told by Horace Greely to “go west young man, go west”. There is a college in Greely named for this foe of slavery and an underground railroad station. This was just east of Whats Cheer…no kidding, the name of the town. 526 Miles.