10 Days to Wabasha, MN

On the road again, we could not wait to get on the road again. And we did! This time we felt even more at home as we cruised down I-90 west, a familiar roadway headed to western New York State, and our first short visit exploring the Finger Lakes region of New York, about 40-miles west of Syracuse, NY.  Our campsite was in a small town called Waterloo, situated downstream of Seneca Falls, and directly along the Cayuga-Seneca Canal System. We were walking distance from Dam & Lock #4 of the NY State Canal System. This system is comprised of four historic waterways - the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego, and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Combined, these four canal systems span some 524-miles and use over 55 locks to negotiate the changes in river elevations. The waterways link the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, Niagara River and Lake Erie communities. To Judy’s chagrin, I am just so fascinated with the history of the movement of goods and services, before trucking and free and easy interstate travel.  We think nothing of trucking material, mail, food, clothing, manufactured goods, and so much more, from place to place, but 120 years ago that just wasn’t possible.  NY had a canal system, Ohio had a canal system, Tennessee used the Tennessee River, and then, of course, there was the king of all river / canal systems called the Mississippi River. Needless to say, I quite enjoyed our stop at the Seneca Museum of Waterways and Industry and learning all about the Finger Lakes and canal systems that allowed cities like NY to flourish and grow in the 19^th century.

We also had a chance to walk to and through Waterloo, as we discovered another fantastic walking trail called the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail. This almost 7-mile trail follows an old railroad bed beside a canal that links the two largest Finger Lakes.  We were just about 3-miles into our walk, before being surprised by a pop-up thunder shower. Being the ever-prepared and experienced travelers, we did have a small umbrella, and were able to walk off the trail without getting thoroughly soaked. See for yourself.

Walking the Cayuga-Seneca Trail in the Rain

After a short 3-night stay in Waterloo, NY we were off early in the morning heading toward northwestern Pennsylvania, to a small town called Mercer.  We were only in Mercer for two nights and we never left the campsite.  Arriving in the afternoon, spending a day around the pool and then leaving the next day to travel to Bluffton, Indiana. This is what RV traveling is like when you’re trying to put some distance between where you were and where you want to be.  Single- and 2-night stays very close to the highways, with minimal unpacking. Thankfully, in Bluffton, IN we were able to find a state park with some terrific walking and hiking trails, so we took advantage of the chance to stretch our legs. Only 7-miles away was Ouabache State Park, into which we went exploring and found this well maintained 1,104 acre state park located along the Wabash River. With many trails to choose from, we picked a 4-mile trail designed to keep us out of the hot afternoon sun.  As we came around a bend in the trail, we were looking at a pen with 7-8 Bison inside.  Yes, you heard me correctly, I said Bison.  A 20-acre area that houses a herd, and there was a new baby Bison born just 2 weeks previous.  Bluffton, IN was a short but memorable stop, and a day later we were on the move again to the great state of Illinois.

Ouabache State Park, Bluffton, IN

Knoxville, Illinois was the next and final short stop on our 9-day journey to Wabasha, MN.  With the exception of a short afternoon visit to the city of Knoxville, we spent the better part of our two-day stay close to the camper.  Which is where we met Jake, Bethany, & Finley.  Jake & Bethany are from NH, but are currently residents of Illinois, and are looking to move back to NH.  Finley is their adorable fur-child, and they were just wonderful to hang out with.  I guess it also helped that Jake & Judy shared a fondness for Peanut Butter infused Whiskey.

Jake, Bethany, & Finley

Knoxville is in the northwestern portion of Illinois, very close to the great corn producing state of Iowa.  We were not surprised when we found that our campsite abutted a farm field full of corn early in the growing season. Farm fields tend to be flat and sprawling, appearing to extend into the distance as far as the eye can see. These surroundings also make for the most stunning sunsets, where the sun changes color and looks to be orange, appearing to just hang over the cornfield.  We captured this spectacular sunset outside our camper as we took a walk after dinner.

We pulled into Wabasha, MN on a Tuesday afternoon.  We had been dodging rain showers our entire 310-mile trip north, and we were lucky enough to unhitch and set up without getting rained on. This was our second trip to Wabasha, and it was selected as our starting point for this next trip for a couple of reasons.  I’d like to tell you those reasons and a whole lot more about our stop in Wabasha, as the outset point of our adventure to and through the northern Rocky Mountains, but that will have to wait for my next blog post as we tell… the Rest of the Story.

Northern Rocky Mountains here we come. Summer of 2024 travel plans.

We’ve been home in Massachusetts these last couple of months.  As much fun as it is to be traveling from place to place, it is also nice to be back in familiar surroundings. We had a slew of domestic matters to attend to, and we are now very excited to get back out on the road. This will be our third trip and it was mostly planned while we were traveling in the south this past winter.  Summer excursions need to be booked early because the summer school break combined with the popularity of camping means that campsites book up quickly. Much quicker than booking stays at campsites in the wintertime, even if you are in the southern states staying out of the coldest temperatures. Another useful tidbit of information we learned this past year.  And whilst we’re on the subject of “stuff we learned this past year”, we are trying to determine if we are still to be considered RV’ing “rookies”? We’ve been on 3 trips, the RV has traveled over 8,600 miles, and we spent 217 nights on the road, with stops at 44 different campsites. So, I’m thinking, no.  No, we are not beginners. We’re more likely RV’ing “Juniors”!  Which I guess means we know enough to do reasonably well, but we definitely haven’t “seen it all” yet. 

We start our summer 2024 adventure next week, as we leave and head due west to basically start where we left off last summer, Wabasha, MN.  I know, you’re saying to yourselves that the trip starts when we leave Massachusetts. Yes, technically you are correct.  And herein lies the predicament of having a home base in New England. There are only so many ways to “drive west” (or south for that matter) to see places west of the Mississippi River.  We don’t live in the center of the country where each quadrant could be explored with new trips in all directions. Instead, we need to travel through the Midwest states, where we spent a whole bunch of time last year, in order to start our swing through the northern Rockies and Yellowstone National Park. And then we have to return through those same Midwestern states. Every time.  Therefore, we have decided to move “quickly” between Massachusetts, and Wabasha, MN.  And “quickly” for us means, when you’re towing a 4-ton trailer, traveling the 1,300 miles in about 10 days, breaking up the drive into reasonable portions. So, we will spend 3 days in the Finger Lakes region of NY, and then a couple days in Northwestern, PA, near Ft. Wayne, IN, then outside of Knoxville, IL, before arriving in Wabasha, MN.  A 2 or 3 day stop really just leaves enough to take a quick look around town, walk a park, have a relaxed meal, and prepare for the next travel day. We are in no rush and it’s just a more relaxed way for us to travel.

Once we get to Wabasha, MN, we slow down and start spending five to seven nights at each stop, giving us a chance to really explore the area. This is when the fun really begins. We have picked out what we hope to be some really beautiful locations and campsites.

• We will visit our fifth and final Great Lake, by traveling north from Wabasha to northern Wisconsin, with a stop in Bayfield, WI.  Here we will visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Madeline Island.

• Moving west, we’re back in Minnesota, with a stop in Duluth, for the July 4^th holiday.

• Still moving west, we are headed to Devils Lake, North Dakota. We booked a campsite in a state park situated on Graham Island, only accessible via a two-lane causeway out onto the island.

• Next stop, the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, ND. The Badlands, so named because of the difficulty traveling prospectors and homesteaders faced trying to travel through this broken landscape.

• We’re not quite at the Northern Rockies yet, but getting closer, as we continue to drive west to Billings, Montana. Here we will explore the sandstone Rimrocks that surround Billings and the Yellowstone River.

• Finally entering the magnificent Rocky Mountain Range after again heading west from Billings, and passing through Bozeman, on our way to Ennis, MT. Ohhh so close to Idaho, our farthest western destination for this adventure.

• We then turn south down US Route 287 through the heart of the Rockies and inside Yellowstone National Park and the Teton National Forest. The Beast (truck) will get a workout as we pull the camper over Togwotee Pass, at an elevation of 9,655 feet above sea level.  Probably our most thrilling and terrifying travel day of the entire trip on our way to Dubois, Wyoming.

• We’re not done yet as we continue to head south following Bridger National Forest, headed to Vernal, Utah. 50 Miles west of Vernal lies the Ashley National Forest, and 40 miles east is the Dinosaur National Monument.

• Heading southeast towards Glenwood Springs, Colorado and the Colorado River in the heart of the White River National Forest. 

• Labor Day will be spent in Cherry Creek State Park in Arora, Colorado. We will travel east from Glenwood Springs on Interstate 70 and pass through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel which traverses the Continental Divide at an elevation of 11,112 feet above sea level.

• Still headed east, through Kansas, to the Kansas/Missouri line, where we will spend some time exploring Kansas City, KS and / or Kansas City, MO (they are only separated by the Missouri River).

• The middle of September will find us in East Fork State Park in Bethel, Ohio. 40 miles outside of Cincinnati. We had a great time in Ohio on our last visit and decided to explore Cincinnati on our return from the Rockies.

• Travelling east from western Ohio, we have two stops planned in Pennsylvania. First stop is in western PA, south of Pittsburgh.  A small town called Charleroi on the Monongahela River. The second stop is in eastern, PA not too far from my brother & sister-in-law, Paul & Jen’s home.  (see blog post dated May 18, 2024; titled, “We conclude our southern expedition with a stop to explore chocolate & ice cream.”)

I kind of get goose bumps when I take a look at the map.  Judy and I readily admit that this is a trip of places and states that 15 years ago, we could not have imagined visiting in such an extensive manner.  The statistics for this trip are pretty incredible.

• All told there are 22 stops.
• We’re on the road for 120 days.
• We will tow “Neil the Northpoint” over 6,000 miles.
• We will visit 13 states, and 6 of those states for the 1st time.
• We will not visit South Dakota or Nebraska. We will have to save these states for another trip.

Tours, excursions, river rafting trips, museums, scenic walking & food tours all still need to be planned.  We are so looking forward to being able to view & experience the majesty and grandeur of the Badlands, the Rocky Mountains and the Continental Divide and tell you all about it.  So, stay with us as we continue our journey, and tell…the Rest of the Story.

"Neil the Northpoint" attached to "The Beast"