Day 48- August 13 Saskatchewan to Home

Day 48- August 13   Saskatchewan to Home

We left our lovely Walmart camp spot in Moose Jaw by 9 am.  Got fuel and stopped to see Mac the Moose and the snowbird plane before hitting the road.

Brody are you in there?

I'm awake!

More awake then everyone else

"Okay let's go!"

Lovely Wally World Campsite

The moose is on my expedition!

As we drove through Saskatchewan we saw the salt piles in Moris again and a weather vain that had a helicopter on top.  Kids are still finding the trip exciting!

That better not be snow!!

just salt piles in Moris

Interesting weather vain

I can still see that dog!

Fuel again in Maple Creek at 32 degrees with lots of grasshoppers and gophers. 
Stopped at the Alberta border for photos at 1:00. 

We've come full circle!

Welcome BACK!!

Medicine Hat for lunch at Wendy's and temperature had gone up to 35 degrees!!!   Very dry and dusty!

It's been an exhausting trip

Passing the time

We were around Calgary quickly on the new ring road, got fuel in Carstairs and home by 6:20 pm.

Home sweet home

A long day of driving, but it's good to be home in our own beds, even if it's just for one night. 

Day 47- August 12 North Dakota to Saskatchewan

Day 47- August 12  North Dakota to Saskatchewan

Didn't take long to get going this morning as we didn't put the mat or awning out last night.  The landscape is starting to resemble the prairies with wide open fields and bails of hay.  The use of irrigation sprinklers in also used here similar to back home.  Also seeing lots of CPR locomotives pulling train cars with Alberta and Saskatchewan tankers.  We even saw one with Crossfield on it!

Familiar prairies

Irrigation systems at work

We've noticed the landscape also had lots of water towers decorated in a variety of ways at each town.  Kids played on their DS, read, colored and watched a movie during our drive today.

Yes we are still in the USA



Starting to look more like the prairies

Just outside of Minot we saw the area where the Intercontinental Balastic Missles are in the underground silos, just in case.  Scary thought!

Drumheller??

As we got closer to the boarder there were white rocks on the hillside from previous high school grads, the earliest we saw was '62.

Great graduation idea

A quick stop for fuel and Duty Free before crossing the boarder at Portal.  No waiting at all as we crossed into Saskatchewan.  We saw the many pilings along the road from the coal mine.  We drove through Weyburn where Grandpa was born.

Coal mine pilings

Coal mining scoop shovel

My dad's birthplace

Looks like a nice place

Then we drove passed Rouleau Saskatchewan where they filmed Corner Gas.  The make believe town was called Dog River.  We saw the café with the police car sitting out front.

police car ready to roll

Ruby's

Arrived at 8:00 pm, now 7:00 with the time change, in Moose Jaw to Camp Walmart.  We didn't set up at all, not even taking the bikes out tonight.  Had Greek salad with chicken for supper before doing some shopping and then playing Yahtzee.

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Travelled 9 hours today, but it's good to be back in Canada.

Day 46- August 11 Wisconsin to North Dakota

Day 46- August 11   Wisconsin to North Dakota

Woke up early to go on  the coffee cruise at 8:30 am with all the adults.  Since Scott and I don't drink coffee, I brought tea and Scott brought water.  It was so peaceful and quiet going through the river system and under the low bridges.  All 9 adults had a seat on the pontoon boat, even the 2 dogs.  It started to rain lightly, but we weren't too concerned.  They put up the top once we got out from the last bridge.  We made a slow cruise across the lake back to the lake house, watching the fish jump.  

Coffee or tea cruise?

calm river cruise



 

Don't stand up!

Relaxing morning

Almost back

Had breakfast when we returned as all the kids had crawled out of bed while we were away.  Breakfast even included the fish they caught yesterday, yum!  We got packed up and showered and left by 11:30 am.  The sun had come back out briefly again as we were leaving.  We felt so welcome at the lake house and we all had a great time!

Gale's and Schultz's

Back on the bumpy interstate again today and it rained on and off for the first part of our trip.  We went past an Amish community outside Minneapolis and more corn crops.  It was interesting watching the installation of power poles, 500 KV transmission lines along our route.  Everything from workers in line baskets stringing the power lines to the lay down yard where they prepped the large metal power poles.

We drove through Minnesota and into North Dakota.  Got into our parking lot type campsite just west of Fargo about 8:00 pm.  Had chicken salad for supper before the kids and I drove back to Fargo to go school shopping at Walmart.  They bought binders, booklets, clothes, runners and locker storage supplies.  Darby bought a day planner and then later realized it had all the American holidays listed and their map in the back instead of Canada.

We covered lots of territory today and drove for 8 hours.  We plan to do the same over the next 2 days to make it home.

Day 45- August 10 Lake Dubay Wisconsin

Day 45- August 10   Lake Dubay Wisconsin

Scott and the boys went out fishing about 7 am this morning.  There was Scott, Chris (the captain), Shayne, Steve, and Dale in the pontoon boat.  Between them all, they caught 5 pickerel and had to throw a few back that didn't meet the 16 inch minimum length. 

I think we should be skiing not heading out fishing

Bringing back breakfast

The rest of us had breakfast, visited and watched Brody and Ian play badminton.  I took Mickey down to the water for a swim and to fetch a stick.  He had so much fun and it was a refreshing morning for him.  After awhile Richelle and I loaded up the truck with beach toys, while the kids road their bikes to the Tiki Bar & Grill 10 minutes down the road.  The kids played on the water trampoline and in the sand for a few hours.  We headed back as the kids got hungry, surprise, surprise. 

Flying Hailey

Back to the lake house for burgers and hot dogs before the boating fun.  Brody and Ian were first up on the tube having fun being thrown off.  Darby, Kassidy and Christopher were next, followed by Darby and Hailey.

Nice lake house!

Then the knee boarding started with Christopher, then Brody and Hailey.  Skiing was next with Chris and Ian each having a turn.  Kids played on the paddle boards, swam, and sang inside on the karaoke machine.  The kids loved making pina coladas with the margarita maker.  We had a great visit sitting in the sun today.

Tubing fun

Hang on tight, Steve is driving!

Mickey got himself a log!

Better than the drivers seat

Jolyn caught a mermaid

Had a delicious meal of Lynn's famous sweet and sour meatballs, corn on the cob, rice and salad.  We had birthday cake for dessert as it was Dale's 69th birthday.  After supper we started some more water fun as I went for a ski and then I helped Brady get up for the first time and Ian start on one ski.  Lots of fun in the water as the sun set, the rest of the kids were playing chicken and having water fights. 


energy food

good balance Hailey

Evening water fun

After we changed, we sat around the fire for a bit and admired the Super Moon. 

Hot coals

High school friendship continues

Kids watched a movie to finish off their day.

Day 44- August 9 Michigan to Wisconsin

Day 44- August 9   Michigan to Wisconsin

We left our campsite in Lansing this morning and drove along the interstate in the sunshine.  Our first stop was Brenton Harbor at the Walmart for a bathroom break and groceries.  Our next stop was Union Pier at Lake Michigan, our last Great Lake.  We walked down the stairs to the very sandy beach.  It was busy with people, boats, kayaks and swimmers.  It's so big you can't see the other side and it looks like it would be a great place to hang out.


Lake Michigan

Crossed into Indiana and there was just a small sign to indicate this.  We weren't there long till we passed into Illinois, but no real sign here as it got busy closer to Chicago.  There was lots of traffic as we made our way through Chicago and Rosemont.  Saw the Sears building, White Sox stadium and a blimp in the sky. 

Glad I don't live here!

We had lots of tolls today in Illinois and my American money was coming in handy.  I think we ended up paying a total of almost $30 by the time we were done.

More money please

We got into Wisconsin to a much nicer landscape as it is know as the corn belt. 
Drove past the capital Madison and got fuel in Westfield @ $3.47/gallon.  Continued on our way until we past Steven's Point to Dubay Lake where Raeann and Chris' lakehouse was.  We arrived shortly after 9:30 pm, now 8:30, with the time change.  The whole gang was there sitting around the fire.  Steve & Joyln, came down from Saskatchewan as well as Dale & Lynn and Richelle and Shane, along with all their children.  So there were 11 kids running around and 10 adults now at the lake house.  It was great to visit everyone, while the kids watched a movie inside. 

Dubay Lake, view from the lake house.

We covered 4 states today and drove about 9 hours, but there was lots of traffic.