Roscommon MI to Kithener Ont (home). END of West trip.

 

Clean and fed, we pulled out before 8:30. Stopped at Birch Run for some outlet shopping. The stores didn’t open till 11 (Sunday), so we waited ½ hour or so. Cath enjoyed a stop at Mary Maxim’s at Port Huron. Then home.

Stats summary: 11,600 km on the van. Spent almost exactly $3000 Cdn (thanks Mom!), including $750 for gas, $350 in Victoria for good hiking boots and sandals, and $130 for ferry and bridge tolls. We ate out 17 times out of 79. Gone almost 5 weeks, should have been at least 8! A real good trip overall.

 

Ashland WI to Roscommon MI

 

Away at 8:45 after cooking bfast on site. Clear blue sky, and very warm already. Ashland was a really nice stop. Saw a snowshoe hare (in summer colours) on the road near Ashland - our first rabbit this trip!

Heading back into Michigan UP, we had to stop for a couple more pasties and a moose chip cookie, at Lawry’s outside Marquette. The day is still sunny, but the temp has moderated to 74F with low humidity - a gorgeous day. Stopped at “Da Yoopers Tourist Trap”, and bit for a few little things. Funny (amusing) outdoor displays. Ate our lunch there at a picnic table. Real nice place to stop.

After crossing the bridge again, heading south on I75. We saw 2 wild turkeys with 8 or 10 young ones near Gaylord. Also a vulture feeding on a dead deer. At 7:30 we pulled in to Roscoe McHiggins cg, on Higgins Lake at Roscommon. An ok spot, for our last night on the road. We saw a nice little (18 ft) Jayco (?) 5th wheel there, and thought it looked appealing. We never bit for a 5th wheel though.

Rugby ND to Ashland WI

 

We filled the thermos at a local cafe about 6:30, then on the road again. Stopped at Mrs J’s in Devil’s Lake for a good 2-egg-and-hashbrowns bfast, a nice spot. 

Grand Forks ND - site of largest tree shelter belts (agricultural) in the world. Shopping stop at East Grand Forks on our way to Ashland Wis on #2, where we camped at a municipal cg, right on the shore of Lake Superior ($10 serviced!). It’s a real nice spot, and with the good weather we had a marvelous sunset we could enjoy right from our site. Sun was setting about 8pm, as we’re on the Eastern edge of the time zone now.

 

Cyprus Hills AB to Rugby ND

  

Off by 6:30 on a sunny morning, headed up to the Trans Canada. Miles and miles of nuthin but miles and miles! You can see the dust trail of a vehicle on a dirt road from miles away. Saw 3 more antelope in a field.

No, these weren't antelope:

Speed limit is 110 kph/68 mph on the TransCanada here. We stopped for a good bfast in Swift Current at 9am. Stopped again on #39 at Welburn for a half-hour air-conditioned break. It’s getting hot again, and no air conditioning in the van. Sometimes a lack of A/C was a real drawback to our good ole van.

After going through Estevan (sunniest spot in Canada), we crossed the Sask border into North Dakota at 4:20, near Minot. Camped at the C&R cg in Rugby ND on #2. It’s cooling off nicely, and is a lovely night. There are only 2 cg in town, and they are overrun with Airstreams (and others), but we got the last site in one. Showers, supper, Dairy Queen and truck viewing. 

Called the girls and gave them a quiz question when they asked where we were - Where is the geographical center of North America?  (Rugby of course). There’s a rock pyramid to mark the spot.

 

 

Wateron AB to Cyprus Hills SK

We hated to leave Waterton, but were away by 9am, another gorgeous blue day. We headed towards Cyprus Hills park on #61. Saw several antelope in a field - as soon as we stopped, they took off right away. Likely been shot at from vehicles before. It’s getting to be very flat country now. Getting hot, 29C.

Got to Cyprus Hills about 2:30, with gray clouds moving in fast. Gord still not feeling good. Some Pepto Bismal and a nap might help. 

Near dusk we went for a modest hike along a boardwalk - saw several deer, and many different kinds of ducks. It’s an interesting place, but can’t compare to Waterton.