We braved the cold again today so that Nate could see the Minneapolis Skyway. Unfortunately, most of the tunnel system was closed today. He did get to walk into a few at the IDS building but could not go into the adjoining buildings. I really enjoyed visiting Minnehaha Falls. I would love to find a campsite right on a waterfall because I could sit and enjoy for hours. The issue is that Nate and Daisy get bored in less than 2 minutes. We got back to the trailer much earlier than expected. We took the dogs for a walk and enjoyed our large, green, beautiful site.... read more

It is a rainy, cold day here today and tomorrow. So, we are pushing on to see what we can in the rain. Yesterday on the way in we saw the Ochsner Park & Zoo. After researching we found it was a free zoo. The site states that the "majority of our animals are either rehabilitated wildlife that are not able to be released or rescued from the exotic pet trade". The Zoo contains playful bears, a variety of owls, sleepy Mexican wolves, a lonely gorgeous artic fox, rambunctious river otters, hidden prairie dogs, a stinky skunk, a majestic eagle, and farm animals. The best part was watching the playful bears run around, climb up trees, flirting with disaster, onto limbs that did not appear like they should be able to hold a bear. After this ... read more

We spent most of the day exploring the many caves of Maquoketa Caves State Park. It is so nice to go at your own pace and enjoy these caves without a guide. They did a great job carving out paths through the wildflowers and through the wet flooring of the caves. Nate was extremely excited to see little chipmunks running around. He made us return to the dance hall in the large cave many times so he could hear himself sing. Today was nice because we took a break and ate lunch. Then we sat outside to enjoy the cool weather, Nate fell asleep, began to snore, and I took a selfie with him. In the afternoon, Nate and Daisy climb down into Wye cave. This is a narrow, muddy, and pitch black cave. Daisy describes ... read more

We were taking our time this morning and I was working at the table when I noticed a deer come right into the campground. He hung out and ate until being spooked by a big class A came by and scared him off. After this we drove to Jester Park, IA to camp for the night. Nates perspective for the day: Today was just a short drive an hour between campsites for a one night stop over to see the High Trestle Bridge near Des Moines, Iowa. I was in disbelief on how easy the drive and set up went. We got in, we had lunch, we went to downtown to get gas, and we went to 2 thrift stores. I got lucky and found another travel toolbox. We came back to the trailer. Tina caught ... read more

Not much to write today. Our next scheduled stop is Winterset Iowa; however, the drive is a bit longer than we'd like with the travel trailer. We drove a short drive up through Missouri to the halfway mark, Thousand Hills State Park. This state park is 3,000 acres and feature a beautiful lake in the forest and Native American petroglyphs. We took many walks in attempt to see deer but did not see any during the daylight. After dark Nate took the Segway and was able to spot a few. We got up early the next morning again to find the deer but still nothing. It was a bit rainy and chilly out. I enjoyed watching Nate as he stood in the field with his arms out wide as many swallows flew all around him.... read more