We started this blog to document our Great Loop adventure. We continued to cruise on Adagio, but in 2018 we purchased a Roadtrek Sprinter Class B RV, named Adagietto. We then purchased an Advanced RV Sprinter named Rocky, which we later traded in for Poppy. It was also from Advanced RV, but was a new design, something they called a B-Box
8/31/2024: After a brief grocery store run, we traveled 5.5 hours to Pershing State Park in Missouri. The weather is perfect! This Missouri State Park is named for General John "Black Jack" Pershing. He was born near the park in Laclede MO. in 1860.
A gravel road in the Midwest is so much better than Alaska, Canada or the northwest in the states. 
Our campsite for 2 nights. Then on to Springfield, IL to the Lincoln Library/Museum on Labor Day.
8/30/2024: We stopped at the Lewis and Clark Visitors Center at Crofton, NE. We are now in Iowa where we see corn and beans, small towns and lower fuel prices. Our campsite: Cracker Barrel in Council Bluffs, IA.
Corps of Engineers organized in 1779 
I didn't know the Corps of Engineers did this 
This could have been written January 6th
8/29/2024: our route today took us across the bottom of South Dakota to Cottonwood Campground in Yankton, SD. As we headed out this morning from Wind Cave NP, we were greeted by bison. We visited Wounded Knee, the site of the 1890 massacre. Much of the time today was on Pine Ridge & Rosebud reservations.
This guy looked as if he was going to challenge us, but me moved off.
He was dealing with flies, but I liked the way he turned. 
Awww
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| Our campground tonight is a Corps of Engineers site. Because of the holiday weekend, we could only get one night here. (It is below the dam pictured below) |
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| This was our terrain all day long |
8/28/2024: a long day of driving with a lunch stop in Custer, SD, a drive through Jewel Cave National Monument, the Custer State Park, and ending in Wind Cave National Park Campground. Wind Cave is one of the longest and most complex caves in the world. Tours of the cave are not available because of some repairs to the elevator shaft. (not that I would have gone anyway)
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| Stickers on the guard rails |
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| A bison on the side of the road |
8/27/2024: Today was a short travel day to Devil's Tower National Monument in Northeast Wyoming, named in 1875 by Col Richard Dodge while on an expedition to find gold. It was originally thought to be an ancient volcano, but recent data suggests it's an igneous intrusion. There is a hilly paved path around its base and we walked it (1.3 miles). We saw 3 sets of climbers on its face. What a rugged sport! We are staying at the campground just below the tower. A perfect day today after storms came through yesterday an took out a lot of huge trees.
From a distance 
Cute little prairie dog 
Rocky and hilly 
I should have worn cooler clothes. It was hot. 
Crazy! 
Wonder what time they started. We saw them around 11:30 and they had a long way to go. 
I rested at every opportunity. I'm out of shape 
Many trees down from yesterday's storm
8/26/2024: Powell, WY to Sheridan, WY. Church last night was at St. Barbara's in Powell. Our overnight stay was in their city rest stop, Homesteader Park. What a nice place with picnic grounds, overnight parking, an aquatic center, a playground, dog park and a fishing area. This morning, rain! It was slow going through the mountain pass and many switchbacks. We saw a truck that had plowed through a guardrail. Emergency help was there so it probably happened an hour or so before we arrived. The cause was likely the slush on the road. The lowest temp we saw today was 39. Later we pulled off the road and saw a moose enjoying some vegetation. We stopped early today because of weather. The weather cleared about 3pm, so we decided to go to Gillette (2hours east) where we are spending the night at Walmart.
Homesteaders Park 
Moose just off of the roadside pullout 
Here's looking at you 
You can see the switchbacks 
Clearmont population is 29 
Saw bunches of these 
What a lonely, remote area. Few cars or properties.
8/25/2024 Yellowstone to Powell, Wyoming via the Beartooth Scenic Highway. As we traveled through the park, we saw lots of bison, some on the road. We also saw a coyote feasting on something. The Beartooth is filled with switchbacks, narrow roads without guardrails and high elevations. Red Lodge, MT has recovered from the devastating 2022 flood. The creek runs right through town.
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| He nearly joined us in our car |
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| She pulled her iPad in quickly as he approached |
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| Isn't he cute |
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| Coyote |
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| Beartooth |
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| Red Lodge, MT |
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| 2022 a devastationg flood hit Red Lodge. This house is on the creek. |
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| You can still see the debris inside. |
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| This home was new |
8/24/2024: Our intention was to leave Yellowstone today, but there was a glitch in the reservation system and we are here for one more night. We decided to head for Old Faithful and make other stops along the way. On our return a few miles from our campground, we saw 5 park ranger cars with flashing lights, a firetruck and 2 ambulances heading the other way. Accident??
Our morning visitor. you can see his breath. Temp was in the high 40s 
Came right by us 
West Thumb Geyser Basin 
Another pic of West Thumb 
Yellowstone Lake 
Continental Divide 
Old Faithful 
Big guy
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| Another shot of him |
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| This bison was huge, lying on the roadside. Couldn't get a head shot. |
