Our Grand Alasakan Adventure

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jmfreas5

Well-known member
Joined
May 12, 2014
Posts
142
This is our first time blogging and I hope to not disappoint anyone.  This will help us keep all the memories we hope to make.  We are into our final countdown to May 21.  The spare bedroom is filled with all our worldly possessions that must make the trip with us.  The fishing rods were the first to go in.  We do hope to catch a few fish. All the little nagging chores are getting checked off the list daily.  We will have one last shake down trip this coming weekend with our camping group.  WE just need to make it through this little snow storm we have going on right now.  We have more than 6 inches and a lot has already melted.
To be continued later, TTFN
 
We just finished our last "shake-down" trip with the Colorado Columbine's.  What a wonderful group of people.  We will miss all of them and the outings on our Grand Adventure.  Thank you for all the well wishes.
While on the outing we started another list of things we need to pack in.  Most of it being food items.  We are not sleeping very well as our excitement grows. After thinking and wanting to make this trip for close to 30 years, it doesn't seem possible it is really going to happen.
The next post won't be till we are underway, so TTFN.
 
May 21, 2014

Our first day of travels- we were up early-3:30AM and out the door at 5:00 AM.  The dishwasher was still running, the sheets & towels were washed and in the dryer.  Everything was finally loaded either in the car or in WeBe.  I should probably tell you why we refer to the motorhome as WeBe.  When we first bought our 18 ft trailer back in 2007 we referred to her as WeBe, as in we be camping, hiking, fishing and just plain old we be going.  So when we bought the motorhome 2 years ago we named her WeBe II.
Our plan was to drive to Custer State Park in South Dakota for a couple of nights. We did see some snow outside of Cheyenne and a camel farm too. I offered to give Jim a break from driving and not more than 1000 ft after getting back on the highway a sign read, ?Road Work next 5 miles.  Why do I always get the construction zones.  We under estimated our mileage by about 60 miles, oops. Just a grey over cast day.  Arrived at the Grace Coolidge campground around 1:30 PM.  Couldn?t get her level so had to call and change sites.  Luckily there was a pay phone and the number was a toll free, because we didn?t have any cell service.  Moved a few sites and she was totally level without any blocks, love when that happens.  We decided to head to the Peter Norbeck Visitor Center for a look around, small but nice.  Headed back to WeBe to get the bikes for a short ride before dinner.  Jim?s tire went flat and we had to walk the bikes back to the coach.  No worries, we fixed dinner and then headed to see Mount Rushmore.  20 miles of winding roads and watching for wildlife.  We saw bison, deer, mountain goats, rabbit, a cat, and antelope.  Mt Rushmore is always spectacular.  Had a little ice cream and then headed for home.
We are 2 tired people and bed is sounding really good.  TTFN (Ta Ta for now).
 
May 22, 2014 ? Day 2

Headed to Minutemen Missile Historic Site about 20 miles east of Wall, SD.  Stopped in the visitor center and read up on the history.  We decided to go on the 11 AM tour of the Missile Launch Center.  Jim B. was our tour guide, he had actually worked at that site and now just volunteers.  He was one of the officers that would have to turn the key along with another officer to set a launch in motion.  He would spend 24 hours at a time down about 35 ft in a hardened concrete bunker, monitoring all the computers and communications.  Pretty tight quarters for 2 people.  Up at ground level were 8-10 people who provide the security and cooking details.
The actual missile was about 10 miles away and in a concrete bunker about 80 ft deep. It was pretty cool to see it all.  At the height of the Cold War there were 1,000 + missiles and now there are about 450 active ones.  Most of the sites are in ND, MT, CO, WY, NE.
Then we headed into Wall, SD to have some lunch at Wall Drug and have a look around.  I remember the kids loving this place.  Also stopped into the National Grassland Visitor Center. Back to WeBe and a short hike.  Heading to Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota tomorrow.  TTFN
 
May 23, 2014 ? Day 3

Woke early and got ready for our long drive up Hwy 85.  Is was along bumpy ride.  But we did see a live Zebra in a pasture, and yes I did say a Zebra.  Not long after that, there was a box turtle trying to cross the road. Not sure that was going to end well.  After 325 miles we entered Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Unit. We were hot and dusty.  The entrance said today?s high was supposed to be 87 degrees.  Not sure what we expected but it reminded us of the Kansas Flint Hills on one side of the road and Badlands of SD on the other side.  Picked out a campsite and set up.  By this time it was already 87 degrees in the coach, so we had a late light lunch and jumped back in the car for a ride up the scenic road in air conditioning. A few nice little turnouts with some history.  The have bentonite clay here that looks bluish gray.  Headed back to camp, thinking we would set up chairs and watch the world go by.  Wrong on that count, we had 3 bison in the campground circling our coach.  I am hoping they do not decide to eat my tomato plant and basil I have sitting outside.  We waited and finally made it into the coach.  Turned on generator and A/C since we couldn?t sit outside.  After1.5 hours as I sit to write this up, the bison are just lounging outside WeBe.  We will plot our adventures for tomorrow.  TTFN
 
So far so good!  I am already enjoying your adventures!  Keep em coming.

Betty
In Rapid City, touring the area
 
I, too, am very much enjoying your road stories and am looking forward to your future accounts.  We'll be travelling along with you on your Alaskan Adventure and remembering our trip in 2000.

Margi
 
Mick and Jim  it took forever to get registered and I finally made it.  Your adventures sound great. I look forward to hearing more. Be safe and love you guys.
 
You lost we when you said that you were up at 3:30 am. I am just kidding. Am enjoying your log. Your bison in the camp ground reminds me of my drive through a herd of buffalo in Custer State Park. I won't do that again. 
 
May 25, 2014 ? Day 5

Put up a few pics, one of Mt Rushmore, one of the bison next to WeBe and one of a rock formation in Teddy Roosevelt called a ?Cannon Ball Concretions?. I?ll try to add a pics when I can.
Headed to Glasgow, MT for an overnight stop.  Stopped in Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site outside of Williston, SD.  Jim wondered how many semi?s would be out on a Sunday going north on US 85 and about that time we saw 6 or more go by.  I guess he got his answer.  We missed our turnoff for the shorter route to the NHS because there was construction and no sign.  About 2500 feet from the missed turn a semi goes roaring past and throws a rock which left a nice chip in the windshield .  Strong southerly winds made driving a bit tricky.  I offered to drive, but Jim said he could handle it.  In many ways, driving through ND is good and bad.  Lots of people have jobs but the scenery is ruined by all the makeshift housing and all the oil & gas drill sites.  What happens when these wells go dry?  Lots of rolling hills with a farm thrown in once in a while. 
We were craving ?obstacles?, this is what Mason calls popsicles.  But didn?t find any yet.  But then it is only 5:30 PM, we think.  Not sure if we are on Mountain time or Central time. TTFN
 
Hi jmfreas5,
It would be helpful for those of us following you to just keep adding to your GRAND Alaskan Adventure thread instead of starting  a new one. I don't want to miss a  thing and I may get confused as to the day you are on or time zone or whatever.
Sorry about your rock chip, but now that is  done and over and  worrying about a rock chip  is already handled!
 
Being new to this, I thought I was just continuing.  Didn't think I was starting over.  How can I correct this?  Any suggestions would be helpful.  Thanks
 
jmfreas5 said:
May 22, 2014 ? Day 2

Headed to Minutemen Missile Historic Site about 20 miles east of Wall, SD.  Stopped in the visitor center and read up on the history.  We decided to go on the 11 AM tour of the Missile Launch Center.  Jim B. was our tour guide, he had actually worked at that site and now just volunteers.  He was one of the officers that would have to turn the key along with another officer to set a launch in motion.  He would spend 24 hours at a time down about 35 ft in a hardened concrete bunker, monitoring all the computers and communications.  Pretty tight quarters for 2 people.  Up at ground level were 8-10 people who provide the security and cooking details.
The actual missile was about 10 miles away and in a concrete bunker about 80 ft deep. It was pretty cool to see it all.  At the height of the Cold War there were 1,000 + missiles and now there are about 450 active ones.  Most of the sites are in ND, MT, CO, WY, NE.
Then we headed into Wall, SD to have some lunch at Wall Drug and have a look around.  I remember the kids loving this place.  Also stopped into the National Grassland Visitor Center. Back to WeBe and a short hike.  Heading to Teddy Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota tomorrow.  TTFN

Thanks for including this visit in your report.  In July 1963, my missile launch crew (two people) was the first to man this site (named Delta 1).  It was the first of 150 missile sites built around Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD that was completed and turned over to the Air Force.  We accepted it from Boeing in a nice ceremony and another Launch Control Center (Bravo 1 near Wall, SD) was accepted at the same time. The reason for the simultaneous turnover was to insure positive control of the missiles should one crew attempt to launch without authorization. The second crew could stop the launch by performing an Inhibit Launch checklist.  Anyway, that was the stone age of ICBMs and I loved every minute of my four years on a launch crew and my entire 20 year career in missile operations and maintenance.  Each control center such as Delta where you visited controlled and monitored 10 missiles but had the capability of launching up to  50 missiles (an entire squadron) under certain circumstances.  Delta 9, the missile site you visited, was one of the ten assigned to Delta 1.  If you remember, the top of the missile launcher is covered with a plexiglass cover which allows one to look in.  It also allows Russian satellites to look in and that was a part of the SALT treaty that resulted in the deactivation of many missile sites including all 150 at Ellsworth AFB.  Delta 9 was allowed to remain as a museum with the provision that it must remain open to satellite viewing by Russians.  Anyway, thanks for the report.  It brought back many fond memories.
 
Bill N said:
Thanks for including this visit in your report.  In July 1963, my missile launch crew (two people) was the first to man this site (named Delta 1).

You had a lot of the equipment that my group wrote the specifications for and later witnessed the delivery at the factory to ensure the specs were met.  Many of my guys were involved with the installation and onsite maintenance of MMIII Guidance sets at Grand Forks.  For some unexplained reason, I never made it to a site.  Management was no longer qualified as an engineer I guess.

Thanks for your service. 
 
Thank you Bill and Jim for your additional information and your service to this country.  There is so much of our history that can't be understood until you see it.  Jim and I have learned so much during our quest to acquire passport stamps from the National Parks systems.  We encourage everyone to get out and visit the parks, sites, battlefields and memorials.  Once you start visiting them it becomes addictive.  We want to see more and more.

May 26, 2014 ? Day 6

Today was a boring day of driving across northern Montana.  There is a reason why they call this ?Big Sky Country?.  When you get on top of a hill you can see for miles and miles. US Hwy 2 was in pretty good shape with the exception of the 3 miles east of Havre, MT, which was dirt and gravel.  Guess who was driving, yes that would be me, the queen of driving in rain and construction.  Nice mix of sun and clouds, but very windy.  There were a few times I thought we might be in another country.  We went through some towns with names like Glasgow, Harlem, Malta, Havre, Kremlin, Zurich, Dunkirk, and Galata.
We are camped very close to the intersection of US 2 and I-15.  We are about 30 miles from Canada. We are pretty excited to be heading into Canada tomorrow.  But did have this thought as I was falling asleep last night, will the Border Patrol let me bring my tomato and basil plant across?  Time will tell. TTFN

 
I didn't think about it but going into Canada further west takes you through Cardston and there is a pretty goo carriage museum there if I remember correctly.  A little further along that route is a Buffalo Jump with great museum, docents and tours.  It is one of the best BJ as far as  showing and explaining what a BJ is.  Somewhere along that route is a RV Park with a barn and they serve meals and provide a nice evenings entertainment.  I don't have my log of the trip and my memory is failing so I can't remember the details.  Check with the visitor centers for specifics.
 
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