Finne's Follies: August 2021

Rocky Mountains

Planning the trip from Idaho to Minnesota was challenging this time around. Part of the difficulty was a result of waiting too long to book campgrounds. By the time we called, our favorite in Rapid City was full for the time period we needed-- that was Hart Ranch.

So, we decided to try a different route, going through Nebraska on US-20 instead of through South Dakota. On this route we found city or county parks all along the way through Nebraska and into Iowa that were reasonably priced. These campgrounds were all first-come-first-served, but that didn't bother us because we would be arriving during the week and not on weekends when most locals use the campgrounds.

With our new route settled, we headed out from Caldwell to our first "hard stop," where we had booked two nights at a campground in Thermopolis, Wyoming-- the world's largest mineral hot springs and the home of the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. (More about this stop to follow.)

The morning we were ready to leave Thermopolis, we had another change of heart and mind. "Why were we taking two weeks to get to Minnesota?" I asked myself. I think it was about taking our time so we didn't tire out too much along the way. We could accomplish the same thing, I reasoned, by simply stopping earlier in the day. We didn't really need an actual campground, and getting out of the heat was beginning to feel more important than resting in a campground.

The choice was simple: A.--more rest at each stop, but longer heat; or B.--more boondocking, getting to cool air sooner. After discussing our options for ten seconds or so, we chose B.

And since we were no longer concerned about campgrounds, we changed the route yet again, putting us back on I-90 where the going was faster and there were likely to be more rest areas along the way. Also, for the first time in the half dozen or so trips we've made across South Dakota, we could finally stop at the Corn Palace in Mitchell (and we did).

Leaving Thermopolis we started having some troubles. Between the outside heat and the 8% grades coming out of the mountains, our brakes heated up to the "smell point," and we had to pull over for a while to let them cool off. We were running our generator almost full time, from mid-morning until about midnight, as we travelled and when we stopped, in order to run the A/C and keep from dying of the heat.

The next day we pulled into a rest area at about 1:30 in the afternoon and decided to just stay there for the night. Both our roof and basement A/C were running on the generator; we were comfortable and happy; and then suddenly the generator shut itself off. It had overheated. By the time we were able to start it up again, the inside temperature had reached 108 degrees.

It was so hot... (how hot was it???) ... it was so hot that the temperature of the ostensibly cold fresh water tank was 101 degrees-- warm enough to shower in (and we did).

To make matters worse, by the time we reached Mitchell, South Dakota, our basement air quit working. It's still not working.

To put an end to this very long story, we left Thermopolis on Monday and arrived in Minnesota the following Friday afternoon, where we rejoiced in the cool weather that greeted us.

Our first stop was Kasota (St. Peter area) where we spent the weekend. I arrived just in time to attend the bridal shower of our soon-to-be granddaughter-in-law, Kaitlin Moore. She will be marrying our grandson, Arick Mayo, at the end of this month. (I love weddings!)

Sunday afternoon we moved the coach to our moochdocking spot in Isanti. My wonderful nephew and niece, Joel and Beth, graciously allow us to park on their property anytime we wish. They provide us with 50 amp power, water, and blackwater dumping ability. We'll be here about three weeks.

Now, for Thermopolis...

I wish we had scheduled just one more day. There were three places I wanted to see, and we got to two of them. The main point for me was the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. I would have liked to have visited a dig site, but time and heat constrained us. The Center was unremarkable from the outside--it more resembled an airplane hanger than a museum. But the displays inside were amazing. Of course, those of you who know me know that I don't ascribe to the evolutionary explanation of life on earth. God said he created everything "after its own kind," and he did it in six days not that long ago... I choose to take him at his word. What caused their demise? An asteroid? Good guess...maybe. God said it was a flood. And a global cataclysmic flood really does a better job of explaining the mass graves and fossil "record" than anything evolutionists have come up with. Still, nearly all of the dinosaur "experts" believe in evolution and the gazillion-years-old earth theory, so that's what the "interpretive centers" talk about exclusively. Regardless of what you believe about their beginnings, it's amazing to see the evidence of such strange and intriguing creatures that once roamed the planet.

Thermopolis is also famous for its mineral hot springs-- they say it's the largest in the world. I don't know if that's true, but I expect they can boast the largest mineral springs hot tub in the world! The Wyoming State Bathhouse has an indoor and outdoor hot springs pool where you can go and sit for twenty minutes for free. We went once. If I lived there, I would go at least a few times a week. The soak felt wonderful, but I have to tell you-- the water stinks! One of those minerals is sulfur.

The place I would have loved to visit but didn't make it to was the Legend Rock Petroglyphs site. It was about a twenty-minute drive from our campground, and we didn't get enough of a head start on the day to make the trip. Next time.

That's it for now. Wishing you all a cool(er) summer and safe travels wherever you go.

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