Road trip: Part 6 - Goose Island to Manhattan, KS

Duck weed on the backwaters of the Mississippi. (Photo: Michael)

The day before we left Goose Island there was a lot of talk about our last night on the road. To get to my prefered location, 30 minutes outside of Kansas City, we would have to be on the road for 8 hours. That was going to make for a very long day, as we were finding 6 hours on the road long enough, even when the drivers switched every hour. Granny found a location that was only 6 hours away, somewhere where we could camp, just off the highway, and then only have 2 or so hours to drive to Watkins Mill before we headed into Kansas City. We were going to play it by ear, but I think I've already given the game away...

Day 13: Goose Island to Watkins Mill State Park
We had no trouble getting up early, for no other reason than it was just so nice to be up as the mist rolled across the river. Somehow we managed to be all packed up, washed, breakfasted and on the road by about 9 am. We had our route planned, but weren't sure how far we would end up travelling - as I mentioned above, we were not keen on travelling for 8 hours, but if Jimmy was doing ok, and the drivers were doing ok, and we didn't like the 6 or so hour spot, then we would continue to Watkins Mill State Park. The early start meant that we would have time on our side and could relax and enjoy the journey.

About to cross the Mississippi.

Well, that was until we realised that we were down to the last few baby wipes, and the way Jimmy was going, we were going to need to find a shop and buy some more before we reached Manhattan, KS. Of course we made this discovery after passing the Walmart and crossing the Mississippi, and we weren't going to turn around and get some, we would just buy some on the way. That day. Whenever an opportunity presented itself.

Driving along the Mississippi.

We did enjoy travelling up the Mississippi for a bit, before turning west. Cue more rolling hills, closely followed by open plains. And lots of wind turbines! Oh they are magnificent! Did I mention that we passed trucks pulling the big blades while we were travelling north? Well, we did, and once we were on a straight freeway again, we saw more. Plus all the ones on the turbines in the fields around us.

Wind turbines... We just kept driving past them and marveled at them. They are almost majestic. I really, really don't understand why people don't like them. I've even seen the ones in Ravenshoe, up in the Atherton Tablelands, Australia, and heard the gentle hum. The ones here in the USA are probably much bigger, but they just look beautiful. They stretched on and on, as far as our eyes could see in some places. At one point there was a lovely juxtaposition of wind turbines next to a few smoke stacks, and we talked about how certain comments made by a certain Australian politician made no sense. Give me wind turbines any day!

We traveled west to Albert Lea, Minnesota, and turned south, making for Des Moines, Iowa, and then a little... It was a grey old day. Windy too. And cold. None of this helped when we had an emergency nappy change to perform, without the help of a gas station restroom with change table. And only 2 wipes. At least it was a slight over-reaction on part, but still, it wasn't a fun stop. Plus we used the last of the baby wipes. This sort of thing is not in the parenting 101 books - actually, it might be, I just never really read past the first few pages... 

After that nappy related detour, we kept going, and kept our eyes out for somewhere sheltered for lunch. And anywhere that might sell baby wipes. And somewhere sheltered we found! It was one of those "just off the freeway" kinda places with clean toilets, change tables, sheltered picnic tables, and free maps of Iowa. Actually, the building was pretty amazing, but we were in a bit of a rush and didn't stop to take pictures.

On the outskirts of Des Moines there is a Target, just off the freeway. With much excitement on my part, we took the turn off and went in. Ahhhhh baby wipes... And beef jerky for a teething boy, who didn't really like it.

A little further south we stopped at another visitors center, checked phone numbers and locations of things and drove off with a eye on the time. If we needed to stop, our roadside campsite was 45 minutes away, otherwise we would keep going to Watkins Mill State Park. To say we were a little tense is probably not quite right, but I was keen to keep going if Jimmy was ok (or asleep).

Jimmy slept. We reached the 45 minute mark and couldn't see our turn off. Jimmy was still asleep. We kept going. Granny called to see if we'd be ok turning up after 6 pm, and it turned out that we would be fine - they'd take our money in the morning. We made for Watkins Mill State Park.

And we arrived there with a happy-ish Jimmy, and before sunset! The campsite host (a volunteer, who stays long term on the site) came and took our money for a site and wood, and answered whatever questions we had. We may have chosen the wrong type of site for the mats we had, but the RV site was close the showers and toilet block, didn't have too many other campers or RVs around, and our ears were inundated with the humming of cicadas, just like the ones in Manhattan, KS. Plus it was warm and dry, just like Manhattan. Just like home.

Packing up our forest campsite.

We had actually been on the road long enough for me to have forgotten what our home life was like. Perhaps that's what happens when you're a mum and you have little choice but to live in the moment, or perhaps I was enjoying myself so much that everything else sort of slipped away.

We slept well, with bellies full of warm food. The ground was hard, but it was only one night. The cicadas were noisy, but familiar. And it was warm and in the morning the tents were dry, so packing them up was fairly quick and easy.

Mum! Mum! Muuuum! Pick me up... I want a cuddle.

Day 14: Watkins Mill State Park to Manhattan, KS
Jimmy enjoyed playing in the gravel after breakfast while we were packing up or showering. The showers are lovely and the whole toilet/shower/laundry facility is probably fairly new. I highly recommend the Park as a nice place to stay, and it's just outside of Kansas City too.

Practicing the all important skills of taking things out and putting them back.

Although we were heading to Kansas City for cooofffeeeee, we (and when I say 'we' I mean 'I') wanted to look at the Mill. (Ok, so I had actually convinced Michael, Granny, and Pop that the Mill was worth visiting.) And as the Mill museum didn't open until 9:30 am, we had time to enjoy our last camp breakfast and some camp-kettle coffee.

Our last camp-kettle coffee.

It was really nice to relax and not feel rushed. None of us were keen on getting into the car, but the Mill wasn't far, Kansas City was another 30-45 minutes, and then home was all of 2 hours. We were almost home. We were able to relax.

How milky do you take your coffee?

Road trip: Part 5 - Brule River to Goose Island

Cutie pie Jimmy-bubba, on the move!

I must have put the previous Road trip post up late at night, because it doesn't end in Thunder Bay - it takes us all the way to Brule River... Oh well! 

Day 11: Brule River to Goose Island

That night was coooooooooold... The sleeping bags Michael and I had were not enough, even zipped together for shared body warmth we were cold. And Jimmy? He was in his sleeping bag, in our sleeping bag. He was fine. Previously we'd take him out of his sleeping bag if I brought him into our big sleeping bag, but that it was sooooo coooooold. When got up, I was really surprised that there was no frost on the ground. 

I touched on how lovely the camping grounds are at Brule River Motel and Campgrounds, but what I neglected to talk about was our camping site. Now, there are a few tent specific sites, with the majority being for RV's, with power and water hookups, but, as I had mentioned, it had been so wet there that we were allowed to pick any site. We went with a site that was all grass, even though it was a little more exposed than other sites. The site we would have loved to use, but didn't, was a tent site: down by the river, but high enough not to be flooded after one nights rain (although a flash flood would have been problematic...). Oh it would have been lovely! That is, if the ground wasn't boggy, the road down to the site steep and rocky and wet, and if there had been a tap for water. Our spot was pretty good, and our neighbours were friendly, and inspite of the cold we had a reasonable sleep, but packed up quickly after a cold breakfast (no tea or coffee).

Helping Granny with breakfast.

If we weren't so cold, and weren't in a hurry to get to our next spot, I think we would have had a lovely time exploring the area and Brule River State Park. That part of the world is quite different to Manhattan, KS, because it has the feeling that nothing ever drys there. Ever. The lovely fungi, as seen in the previous road trip post, is a result of that kind of climate. We also found a frog near the bathrooms, so it must be warm in the summer. And we were still close to Lake  Superior... Too bad about the mosquitos... Yes, Michael and Pop bought insect repellant when they bought the fire wood...

I love this photo.

Before we hit the road, Jimmy had some time to stretch his little legs and did so looking very cute. I'm afraid you'll just have to deal with blurry photos, because he moves so fast, but we did manage to catch him and get him into some dry clothes before setting off.

We, understandably, had a hankering for a hot drink. Anywhere would do! So, somewhere between our first and second hours on the road we took a turnoff and ended up in Cameron, Wisconsin. We basically stopped at the first place we came across because there were lots of cars parked outside it. Good sign, right?

Cameron House, Cameron, WI.

Coffee anyone? Well, we walked in and there were a few pool tables, a pokie machine (or two) I think, lots of things on the walls and a bar. And a door leading to a bigger, darker, more peopled room. So we went in... and discovered a room covered in kitsch fishing and hunting paraphernalia and a bunch of locals. We asked for coffee, Granny had tea, and we were after some biscuits... but when the waitress asked us if we wanted gravy with them, we knew we were speaking a different language! And then we remembered that we were after "cookies", so we had cookies and doughnuts with our coffees and tea. The coffee was drippilator and with creamer, oh but it was good... It all hit the spot and made for a nice break.

Cool, right?

Wisconsin is pretty. As we travelled south birch and spruce gave way to rolling plains and corn fields, with treed hills preventing us from seeing endless fields.

The rolling landscape is home to Amish communities and corn growers, with at least one road sign alerting us that we might encounter Amish buggies. We waited... Michael saw the top of a sylow and thought it was an observatory until we rounded the hill. He fell asleep. So did Jimmy. And then we saw it! An Amish man with his horse and buggy and I couldn't get my camera ready fast enough because all too quickly we had passed him. Oh well. Here's a picture of a sylow instead.

We stopped for lunch in Galesville, WI, and attracted some attention from the staff at the IGA because we were not from the area, and a long way from home. It was all good attention, especially as Jimmy is really cute. We even acquired directions to a good park for a picnic. Win!

Detail of the gazebo roof.

It was everything we could have asked for: tables under a gazebo, taps, toilets, green space, and playground equipment! Jimmy loved the slide and swing. And we enjoyed the location before heading off and on towards Goose Island.

Weeee! (Photo: Michael)

Road trip: Part 4 - Lake of the Woods to Thunder Bay

Day 8: Lake of the Woods to Thunder Bay

We set alarms and were up before dawn so that we could see Uncle C. again before he left for Winnipeg and to thank him for having us. Once he was gone, we continued drinking our coffee and watched the sun rise over the Lake...

Photo: Michael

It was magical.

And then we packed up, locked up, and drove off. Not only did we have a 6 hour drive ahead of us but there was at least one more Geocache to find. 

But it wasn't found. Meanwhile, I managed to take a few pretty photos of mist and wild flowers, grasses, spruce, and birch. Jimmy and Pop got their groove on to the Wiggles, while staying nice and warm in the car.

As we drove towards Thunder Bay the landscape became rockier, with fewer lakes but more trees and grasses and wild flowers and road works. The race to finish everything before the ground froze was on. We were fortunate enough not to have to wait very long at any given point.

The day was uneventful otherwise, although we did feel pressed for time and by 4 pm, with 1.5 hours driving to go, we had to make a call: see Kakabeka Falls and have a really cranky Jimmy or just head to our accommodation. We skipped Kakabeka Falls. We were all close to being 'over' being in the car.

And we did manage to make it to KOA Thunder Bay without Jimmy getting too upset. Oh we were glad to be out of that car! We bought firewood and started looking forward to a hot dinner and cups of tea... only we were a few days too late for the dry wood... that all went over the Labor Day weekend, when they were very busy. Oh well... At least the swimming pool was open...

But we were all after refreshments first, but they were second to setting up our cabin. Except in Jimmy's case. He'd waited long enough.

Possibly one of my favourite photos, thanks Michael for taking it!

Jimmy, Michael, and I went for a swim. It was really refreshing, and not in a "the water was cold" way. Even Jimmy enjoyed the swim before he found the difference in water and air temperatures too much. Nothing a warm shower couldn't fix.

Our kettle.

Road trip: Part 3 - Lake of the Woods

On the lake. (Photo: Michael)

 Days 4-7: Lake of the Woods
As I mentioned in the previous road trip post, my Canadian relatives have a lovely cottage, in a lovely part of the world, and they really enjoy spending time there. And we really enjoyed spending time with them as they shared their home-away-from-home with us. Thanks for having us!!

The Lake of the Woods is the sort of place where you want to be outside: the air is clear and crisp on the lake and misty and earthy in the woods; there is no light pollution, so at night the Northern stars shine bright; did I mention the fresh air? It's just lovely! It's the opposite of city living, but the cottage has all the comforts of flushing toilets, central heating, and wifi.

My cousins talked about going out on the ice in Winter, while Aunty P. talked about having trouble getting her children to come inside before they became too cold. So, I'm guessing they really like being at their cottage regardless of the time of year. I would too.

Cousin J. with Aunty M (aka Granny).

The builders, who built the cottage, built this for Cousin Am. (she was much younger at the time).

Enjoying being outside. Even if the air was on the crisp side.

Aunty P. found this truck, and another, for Jimmy before we left Winnipeg. He really enjoyed playing with them!

Road trip: Part 2 - Winnipeg to Lake of the Woods

Day 4: cafe breakfast, including a chew on Granny's glasses (Photo: Michael).

Day 3 ended at a hotel in Winnipeg, after dinner with our family. Jimmy wasn't sure about the bath, but I thought it was great! And it was nice to be inside given how cold it was that morning (not that we were out in the coldest part, but it was single digits Celsius). So, on to Day 4 of our road trip!

Day 4: Winnipeg to Lake of the Woods
Did I mention a cafe breakfast? My uncle booked a table at Stella's Cafe and Bakery, which meant being out of our hotel room by 8:30 am, which we managed! Was it the lure of coffee or food we didn't have to prepare or the fact that we'd all showered the night before that made it possible? Meh... doesn't matter! We made our breakfast deadline and were greeted by a busy cafe. The food was great and the coffee hit the spot and there was a queue of people waiting for tables, even before we were finished eating. So, we didn't spend all morning there, taking up 4 tables (there were 9 of us...), plus we had to see Winnipeg!

"Done! Breakfast had, get me out of this high chair!"

After breakfast we headed to Assiniboine Park for a quick stroll around the lovely gardens. Yeah... no words, just look at the photos.

Road trip: Part 1 - Manhattan to Winnipeg

When my parents started talking about visiting us here in Manhattan, KS, we started talking about seeing parts of the USA and visiting family in Canada. We ummm-ed and ahhhh-ed about flying or driving to Winnipeg, Manitoba (where my Uncle and his family live), how long to spend in Manhattan, do we go else where... etc etc... And after doing the numbers on car hire and flights for 4 adults, it was a much-of-a-muchness, so we decided to drive and see some of the continent that is North America.

Planning the route was fun. My Dad and I spent a few afternoons talking it over (thanks to FaceTime), discussing pro's and con's on different routes. We had 2 constraints: we would be travelling with an infant/toddler; and we only had 2 weeks for the whole trip. This translated to 4-6 hours car travel per day, depending on how Jimmy traveled, 3 days travel from Manhattan, KS, to Winnipeg, MB, plus however long we would spend with our relatives in Canada, which left about 1 week to get back to Manhattan, KS.

We wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park, but we would have had 2-3 nights there, with too much driving per day either side. So, that ruled that out. A few days later, it seemed my Dad and I had been on the same wavelength and we talked about going east of Winnipeg, out to Lake Superior and then south along the Mississippi, stopping in St Louis, MI, before heading back to Manhattan, KS.

Our planning, in terms of finding accommodation was a little haphazard, mostly involved planning a route on Google Maps, then zooming in somewhere that was 4-6 hours from point A and hoping that there was somewhere there to stay, i.e. a State Park or commercial campground. But it worked. We couldn't really plan pit stops, lunch breaks or sightseeing because we had no idea how Jimmy was going to travel from one day to the next, so the focus was on our accommodation and everything else would follow, more or less.

Sorting out our accommodation lead to some interesting discoveries and realisations: not all places allow online bookings and require actual cheques to be sent for a booking; bookings over the weekends need to be 2 nights. Cheques aside, this meant that we wouldn't have time to take in St Louis, so we decided to see Kansas City, MI/KS, instead, after spending 2 nights on the backwaters of the Mississippi.

Enough about the planning! Here's what happened, with lots of photos. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed being able to take them.

Car selfie!

Day 1: Manhattan to Hillview Recreation Area
We quickly packed the hire car, after saying goodbye to our very first guest T, and were off on our adventure. There was to be no turning back for handkerchiefs or knives - we had to make it to Hillview Recreation Area, Plymouth County, IA, before Jimmy lost it.

Lunch, when we realised that we hadn't packed sharp kitchen knives.

Jimmy losing it... ok, it's probably him mid yawn...