Spearfish was a great stop for 4 nights. Lots of hiking, lots of sightseeing.I took the following photos on the trail to Devil’s Bathtub. If you ever have the chance to stay in Spearfish, I can’t say enough good things. It is away from the Mt. Rushmore crowds, but you can drive over to that section when you want to see the sights.

Now, I am on a 1300 mile long haul to Akron, OH to visit family. My 87-year old mom has a heart procedure Monday.

Yesterday and today I traveled a total of 700 miles. It does not sound like much to some people, but for me, pulling a camper at 55 MPH, those were two long days. I am in Iowa now, and it is steaming hot, but Blue Moon has AC so all is well. More in another post about keeping my dog cool while traveling.

I crossed off one of my Bucket List items today. The only state (lower 48) I had not traveled through was Minnesota. I did change planes once in the Twin Cities, but I don’t count that. Today, I drove about 200 miles through MN, on I-90. I turned south into Iowa at I-35 and will connect with I-80 tomorrow. That will take me right near where I grew up in OH, after another day and a half of driving! Once I get to Ohio, I am 2/3 of the way to Florida!

People are always the most interesting part of a trip. The folks we met at the RV park in Spearfish were super, including the staff. I am in a small campground tonight and have been yakking up a storm with the staff here. However, between Spearfish and here (near Ames, IA), people have been shockingly rude, the fellow highway travelers in particular. A couple of times I encountered road construction, where cars were forced to one side of the freeway–one lane in each direction. I was separated from oncoming 18-wheelers and over-sized loads hanging off trucks by orange cones. The speed limit was always 45 mph in those sections. I invariably was at the head of a long line of cars, whose drivers had the bad luck of getting behind me. I traveled the speed limit and not a bit faster because I was a bit scared.. Well, when the road became two lanes in each direction, I quickly merged to the right so people could pass me. The first time, several cars honked as they passed. A guy on a motorcycle gave me the middle finger salute. Other times, I got more honks and a horn blast from a truck

What is that all about? I made them go the speed limit so they have to show their anger? What happened to compassion? Would they treat their mother/grandmother that way? Why is everyone in such a hurry?

An IRS update for those who felt my pain: I was sooooo worried that I was being investigated as a terrorist because my tax refund was long overdue (I filed an extension, then filed in July). My paranoia was caused by my address drama. Well, turns out I made a mistake on my tax return that they had to fix. I was given an extra $1000 on my refund. Seriously. What a crazy life I lead.

So, just a quick update today. It may be several more days until my next post! Thanks for traveling with me!