Going Home

Day 86  Thursday September 8, 2016                    Medora, ND      Red Trail Campground, site 69

522 miles towing            11.9 mpg

Today is the first day of our trip home.  We didn’t know where we were going to stay, but was considering Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, near the town of Medora.  We did that last year.  Just an overnight in the campground.

We headed up US 191 for 80 miles to downtown Bozeman.  We had breakfast at a place called Main Street Over Easy.  We used to go there on our last day before flying home when I used to come out here with my Traverse City buddies.  It was nice to be there again, especially with Marsha.  They are known for their buffalo sausage and is very popular with the locals. 

Here’s some views from US-191 heading up to Bozeman:

Then we went to a place called Gift Corral, which is an upscale gift shop with Montana themed and western themed stuff.  I got a beer glass with an etched elk on it and Marsha got another moose ornament.  I collect etched glass beer glasses from places I’ve been.  I’ve been to this gift store before and have bought other quality stuff from them in the past.

We left Bozeman at 10:00.  Took I-90 to Billings and then I-94 to North Dakota.  In eastern Montana we ran into some severe wind gusts with heavy rain that was impairing visibility and stability.  The gusts were in excess of 50 mph.  The rain was horizontal and the tumbleweeds were shooting across the highway instead of tumbling.  The wind was hitting us sideways.  I have clamps on the rails that keep the canoe from slipping sideways.  They were slipping and pushing the canoe to the right of the rails.  I stopped in pouring rain by the side of the interstate to try to retighten them, I was drenched.  Got off at the next exit, which was the Miles City exit, and was able to pull over after a mile or two to retighten the clamps again and to wait it out.  Fortunately, it stopped.  After we started out again there were still localized storms in the distance and a rainbow.  Eastern Montana is like prairie and you can see for miles.

Here’s some I-90 scenery after leaving Bozeman:

Here’s eastern Montana from I-94:

We got off at the Medora, ND exit.  Pulled into Theodore Roosevelt Nation Park (south unit) and there was a sign that said “Campground Full”.  We didn’t have a plan B because we didn’t expect that.  Marsha did her magic on her phone and found a nearby state park.  Sully Creek State Park.  We went there, but didn’t like it.  It was geared towards horse camps.  Sites were in a wide open field. 

We passed a private campground on the way so we checked into that.  Was OK.  We just needed a site to sleep and leave in the morning.  We ate Subway subs that we bought at the 1^st exit in ND at a Flying J truck stop.

We were able to hook up cable and watch TV.  Something we haven’t done for a long, long time.

Day 87  Friday, Sept. 9, 2016      Huntersville State Forest Campground, MN, Shell City Campground

427 miles           11.8 mpg

We studied the map and looked for a target for the day and decided on a state forest campground in MN. 

Left Medora, ND at 07:15.  A short time after getting back on I-94 we came to a visitor center and scenic lookout for the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  Here are some pictures.

Continued on I-94 to Bismark, ND where we ate breakfast at Perkins.  We then continued on I-94 to Fargo and then into Minnesota.  Most of the trip was flat plains, corn fields, and hay fields across North Dakota.

We took US-10  to MN-87 to Memahga, MN.  From there we took rural county roads to the campground.  It was a beautiful campground with 14 sites.  We were the only ones there and had the best site. 

Here's the creek that bounded the campground.

I grabbed fallen branches and sticks and made us a little fire.  There were signs about not bringing firewood from the outside.  I had firewood from Yellowstone, but decided to keep it in the truck.  We never saw anyone else the whole time we were there except for a truck driving through with a 4-wheeler on a trailer.

Made burritos for supper.

And here's the flower of the day:

Taken at the Theodore Roosevelt N.P. Visitor Center

Day 88  Friday September 10, 2016                                     Liza’s House, site 1
413 miles           11.0 mpg

Because we were going to pass through Wisconsin, Marsha set up a visit with her youger sister and brother.  We altered our route a little south to arrive in Bowler, WI. 

We left the Shell City Campground at 06:15, before sunrise.  Took various back county roads to get to US-10 and took that all the way to St. Cloud, MN.  It was very rural through farmland and small towns.  We chose to avoid I-94 through Minneapolis as suggested by the GPS.  In St. Cloud we got on MN-95 until the Wisconsin border where it joined US-8.  Followed that for 50 miles to US-53 south to Eau Claire, WI where we picked up WI-29.  Took that all the way to Bowler, WI.  Arrived at Liza’s house at 14:30.  Set up on site 1, the turnaround in her driveway.

Liza made some chili and corn bread for us.  Marsha’s brother Gregg came over for a while.  We sat around and watched the Brewers game. 

I posted the Bunsen Peak hike while I was there.

Day 89  Saturday, September 11, 2016                               Liza’s House, site 1

We sat around Liza’s house all day.  Liza made a big pot of chicken soup and Marsha made chicken pot pie.  Had pot pie for lunch and dinner.  Liza made the soup for her friend with cancer. 

Worked on the Baker’s Hole blogs. 

Watched Packers vs Jaguars.  Packers won.  Watched Detroit Lions vs Indianapolis Cowboys.  Lions won.

Gregg stopped by again and said goodbye for now.

It was good that Marsha could see her younger brother and sister again. 

We have two ways to go home.  Go through Milwaukee and Chicago around the bottom of the lake and then north to Grand Haven.  Or, go north to Escanaba and continue across the UP, cross the Makinac Bridge and head south to Grand Haven.  The Chicago route is 8 hrs, the UP route is 12-13 hours..  We will take the UP route and take two days to do it.

Day 90  Monday September 12, 2016                   Hiawatha National Forest, Brevoort Lake, site 2271 miles           13.0 mpg

Liza got up and left for work at 08:00.  Said goodbye for now.  We drove to Shawano and had a big breakfast at Farm Inn on Main.  A nice little restaurant in town Marsha knew about.

Took county roads to US-41 north to the “Welcome to Pure Michigan” sign in Menominee.  Followed the shoreline of Green Bay to Escanaba on M-35.  In Escanaba, we joined US-2 the rest of the way to Brevoort Lake Campground in the Hiawatha National Forest.  It’s about 15 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge.  Arrived at 16:30. We had a beautiful site right on the water.  Site 2. 

We set our chairs up by the lake and watch chipmunks, red squirrels, and mallard ducks while we relaxed and enjoyed our beverages.  We heated up some of Liza’s soup for supper. 

Then we took some pictures over the water as the sun set.  There were no clouds in the sky to enhance it.

No chipmunk or squirrel pictures.  Just these two ducks.  No elk pictures either.

Tomorrow we will be home.

Day 91  Tuesday September 13, 2016                   Grand Haven, MI              HOME!291 miles           10.0 mpg

Slept in until 07:00.  Marsha took some sunrise pictures over the lake before we left.

Sunrise over Brevoort Lake, U.P.

 Had to go to the dump station to dump our tanks before hitting the road.  Left dump station at 07:45.  We hit the road with no coffee in our veins.  It wasn’t too far before we would eat breakfast.

Gassed up at the BP station just before the entrance to I-75 to take us to the bridge.  When we crossed the Mackinac Bridge, an ore boat was approaching from the west.

Stopped at Audie’s in Mackinaw City for breakfast.  Then it was pretty much straight home.  Took I-75 to US-127 to Houghton Lake where we picked up M-55 to Lake City and Cadillac.  In Cadillac, we picked up US-131 to Grand Rapids, then onto I-96.  Got off at exit 9, M-104 and immediately got on M-231 to Lincoln street and finally to Home.  Arrived at 14:30. 

Everything was fine.  Turned water back on.  Plugged in all the unplugged stuff.  The four smoke detectors were beeping because they needed new batteries.  Took care of that annoying scenario.  Took the canoe and racks off the truck.  Brought all our clothes in from the Oliver.  Turned on the A/C.  We are not used to 76^o heat and humidity.  I guess with the summer that Grand Haven had, we were spoiled.

Have a lot of work to do now to prepare for winter. 

Final Stats from our 3 month Alaskan adventure:

Total miles driven:          13,206

Total miles towing:         11,413

Non-towing miles:          1,793

I haven’t tallied the cost of the trip yet.  The largest cost was fuel.  I estimate about 1,340 gallons @ average cost of $3.50 or about $4,700.

Camping fees averaged about $15 per night in public campgrounds and $35 in private campgrounds.  

No. nights in public campgrounds:          55          Estimated cost: $825

No. nights in private campgrounds:         34          Estimated cost: $1,190

Total:                                                              89          Total (est.)         $2,015

Groceries are needed it you are home or on the road.  However, groceries in Canada and Alaska are nearly double what we pay back home.  At this time I won’t venture a guess as to what we spent.

Dining out should be considered, too.  Breakfast $30, Lunch $50, and dinner $80-$100.

Another cost is tourist activities like the Skagway & Whitehorse train ride and the Lulu-Belle out of Valdez.  Together, these were about $500 for two people.  The only other similar expense would be T-shirts, beer glasses, ornaments, etc.

I’m estimating that we spent $9,000 for the 3-month trip.  I have yet to put all my receipts in Quicken.