Our First Weeks on the Road to Alaska

• May 10^th to May 14^th

Well, we're on our way. We had a great 5 days with Jacqui & Joe Danek in Marengo, Ohio, at an FMCA Monaco America Rally. You might ask why Marengo. Having organized rallies in the past we know that finding a campground with enough spots for a big group of Rvers, plus facilities for meals, seminars, ladies luncheons, and crafting classes, centrally located so members from many states will attend, is a difficult task.

Marengo is near large Amish communities north of Columbus. If the spirit moves you to visit cheese factories and bakeries, they are close enough for an excellent day trip. We visited Millersburg and Berlin.

In addition to the Daneks, we again were able to spend time with Judy & Bill Goins, and Barbara & Bernie Brown and Pam & Dean Brown, RVing friends from NC and Kentucky.

Friendships are a great part of Rving and Daisy Danek is a special friend.

• May 15^th to May 18^th

We traveled just 100 miles west toWapakoneta, OH to stay for 3 days after the Rally. Wapakoneta is a small but interesting town about 60 miles north of Dayton. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is from Wapakoneta and a fine museum documenting his life and his path to the moon is located there. It is well worth the visit because of the details about Armstrong's early years, if nothing else.

In addition, we traveled to the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton. It is a truly comprehensive display of how man's desire to fly... faster, higher, and smarter... has shaped America's past and will influence our future. We spent over 6 hours and saw about two-thirds of the displays. 






And a new 4^th building is under construction.  The 4^th building will house a retired Air Force 1, a space shuttle, and at least 30 other planes, missiles, and space vehicles. 






The size is incomprehensible unless you see it yourself. To say the displays are amazing is insufficient. In one building a B52 is just one of the airplanes displayed.

• May 19^th to May 25^th

The drive to Utica, Ill. was uneventful but long. Never take Route 30 through Indiana! 100 miles of stoplights seemingly every 2 miles. Once we hit I80 the number of trucks were reminiscent of Memphis. Hickory Hollow RV Park is just off the highway and a great stopping point.

I started to write this on the 20^th when we stayed at a Yogi Bear Park in the Wisconsin Dells, a true summer vacation spot. Fortunately we were there at the very beginning of the season. We were the only RV in the park. It would be the proverbial zoo in the dead of summer! Great if you have a young family.

Our trip to Minneapolis and Lowry Grove RV park was uneventful. The residents, however, provided excitement with firetrucks and ambulances and police visiting on more than one occasion. In Minneapolis we toured the Mall of America, 500 stores, a roller coaster, water flume ride, zip line, and a carousel....what a place! 

Then we headed downtown to see the Mary Tyler Moore statue. Got a glimpse of her as we circled the block! We crossed the Mississippi River numerous times, it's a lot narrower here than further South!

Classic Bridge over the Mississippi

We headed west on a 3 day burst to Jamestown, ND, Medora, ND, then Hardin, Montana, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Spending the 23^rd, 24^th and 25th on the road. The trip to Jamestown was made interesting by the tailpipe falling off the RV. Fortunately it did no additional damage. We called our nephew, Matthew who runs a truck repair company, Anytime Truck Repair. He reassured us that we can drive it until we can get it repaired. That will happen once we get to Lethbridge, Alberta.

Our last stop in the United States will be White Sulfur Springs, Montana. Those adventures will make it into the next Blog!