Oh, Dear Readers, I’m so sorry its been so long since my last update. I wish I could say its because we have been SO busy I simply haven’t had the time, but that would be a bit of a fib. I guess I’ll let you all decide.
Gosh, when last I wrote, we were leaving SW Michigan and heading to Indiana Dunes National Park. We had three nights planned there to ensure we had two full days to experience the park. However, given it wasn’t a long drive from where we had stayed, it turns out the first “full day” was the one on which we arrived. It is a very impressive beach setting (you would never know you weren’t on an ocean), and had a couple of cool dune hikes which we did. It’s a State and National Park that was formed as a compromise with the industrialists of the area who wanted to develop it all. Therefore, the park is split by a huge factory and industrial port. They also make a deal out of the fact that you can see Chicago from the top of the dunes. It was a very popular place, but we decided two nights was enough for us. National Park Stamp 49….check!
Our next stop was Louisville, Kentucky. We had preplanned a Behind the Scenes tour of Churchill Downs for the last day of our stay. The very first thing on my agenda was getting that Kentucky Golf Round in, and Dale had zero interest. So I called an Uber and off I went. I played eighteen all by myself, not even paired with anyone, with the cicadas so loud and plentiful they were darn near a distraction!
We had an impromptu joining of our friends Steve and Sherry Kutina who are summering away from Florida in their new RV. We had made plans for them to join us on a tour of Makers Mark Distillery and the Louisville Slugger Factory. They encountered a bit of a technical difficulty which put them about a day behind us, so we took the Makers Mark tour alone. Dale had been to Louisville the year before with his brother and had toured and tasted many of the bourbons in town. Given this is not my favorite liquor, I was happy that he suggested a trip to Makers Mark, since he felt they had the most beautiful grounds. And he was right about that! By the time we were through the tour, I was convinced I might like the tastings. Well, that was a bit of wishful thinking. It may have hints of caramel and vanilla, but it still tastes like gasoline to me. At least I learned the “punch in the gut” I get when I drink the stuff is supposed to happen!
By the time we were back at the campground, Steve and Sherry were minutes away. We spent the evening playing games and catching up on our lives and adventures. The next morning we all piled into Sherry’s MiniCooper and headed into downtown. We were hoping for a relaxing walk about town doing a little shopping, but the rain caught up to us again. So we focused on lunch and the Slugger tour. Again, baseball fan or not, it’s a pretty impressive operation they have going on. They walk you through the process of making bats, including the forests that grow the trees. I had a good time in the museum with the Mariner stuff! The rain was still tampering our fun, so we drove back to the RVs to give their pups a break, then drove back into town for dinner at La Bodeguita, a Cuban restaurant Dale had discovered the previous year. It did not disappoint!
The next morning Dale and I were off to Churchill Downs. Unfortunately the tour was sold out so Steve and Sherry could not join us. Which was a shame, because this was a fabulous tour. The first part of the tour is focused on the stables where the racers are housed. Those animals are incredible, and incredibly well cared for. We spent quality time watching the animals getting a workout, standing right on the rail, it was really special. Then a tour through the stands, and a good lesson about why if you think you are going there on Derby Day for anything other than the party, you are sorely mistaken. No matter how much you spend on seats, the view to the track will be impeded by standing people in ginormous hats and you’ll be watching it on TV. We learned a lot about the building, the history of the race, the past winners. Bottom line it was a cool tour and we highly recommend it if you find yourself in Louisville. We met up with Steve and Sherry at Wagner’s Pharmacy, aka Wagner’s Diner for brunch, then all went back into Churchill for some racing. How fun! And I was the big winner! Placed a total of $14 on a trifecta and a winner, and won both! $248 later and a big Woohoo! we finished off our evening and stay jus hanging at the RVs and enjoying each others company.
Dale and I headed out the next day on a mission to get our 50th National Park Stamp ay Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis, MO. We squeezed in nine holes of golf in Illinois at the halfway point, and landed in our campground with just enough time to grab an Uber to the park. We were downtown with folks who attended a STL Cardinals Game, a STL Battlehawks UFL game (some for both!) and the regular tourist families visiting the arch. It is pretty impressive up close and personal, but neither of us were interested in a ride to the top, so I took a picture of the view being telecast from below. The weather was pretty sketchy, and on our rides to and from the park, we got to hear about the unusual amount of tornado activity that St Louis has enjoyed this year. I know the odds of avoiding one are in our favor, but I was pretty happy to be moving on the next day!
Our next stop was Branson, MO. This one has been on my bucket list ever since I watched binge watched Ozark with Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. Even tho the show had nothing to do with Branson, I was looking forward to being in the Ozarks. Dale was off for the weekend to fish in Alaska, so I was on my own. And I was on a mission! Before he left, we visited the Table Rock resort area. An expensive nine holes at Top of the Rock (MO golf complete!) – excellent and spectacular views! A quick walk at Big Cedar Lodge – beautiful and likely a fabulous place to stay. And finally a visit to Dogwood Canyon Nature Park. We rented bikes and cruised the canyon, through the most civilized nature park we’ve ever seen. You can walk it, bike it, or tram your way through the canyon. Another thing we HIGHLY recommend!
Branson and Pigeon Forge, TN have a lot of similarities, so we were very selective about shows to see. Together we went to see the Haygoods. A musical family who have been performing in Branson since 1993. We were told it was one of the best shows in town, and we did enjoy it. I also went to see DAVID Live on Stage at the Sight and Sound Theater. Wow was that a production! We all knew the biblical story of David, and were rather curious how they would bring it to an end, and I can say they did pretty well! It is a BIG production, the stage is on three sides of the audience, and includes animals, birds, animatronics and great singing. It really was something!
The last time we were in Arkansas the weather was too cold and kept us from golfing. So, this was my chance to get it done. Bentonville, Arkansas is a 90ish minute drive from Branson, so off I went, watching the weather the whole time….it was getting sketchy again. My first stop in Bentonville was at the Crystal Bridges Museum. I had seen this place showcased on CBS Sunday morning, I don’t even know how long ago, and it stuck in my mind. Maybe because I was binge watching Ozark and Bentonville is in the Ozarks too. Anyway, I had a lovely time wandering this free museum and admiring the wide range of art on display. I was able to walk a portion of the outdoor art walk and admire some of the sculptures and the Frank Lloyd Wright home before the rain became more than an annoyance. The good news is by the time I enjoyed a cappuccino at the coffee bar and stopped to fill my gas tank, the rain had stopped long enough for me to play nine holes at Big Sugar golf course. AR golf —check!
I did have one day of hanging with the RV. The weather was keeping things pretty wet, so it was a day of laundry, binge watching, and short walks along Branson Landing. Our campground was quite conveniently located to the start of the trail! Our last day there was the day I needed to pick up Dale from the airport. He flew out of the Springfield-Branson Airport, about an hour north. AND he didn’t come in until 10:30pm. So I packed my day. As it turns out, the Oklahoma border is only about 90ish minutes from Springfield, MO, so off I went to keep an 11:10 tee time at Peoria Ridge golf course. Which, as it turned out, I needed to wait an hour to start due to the thunderstorm that arrived about the same time I did. But that was OK, I had time to kill in the day, an audiobook in my ears, and the entertainment of watching all the golfers called off the course wait it out too. By the time I started, it was a WET course. I had paid for 18 holes, again hoping to kill time, but was lucky enough to get nine in before the weather came in again. So, I killed a couple of hours at the Casino right around the corner instead. Not a big winner, but not a big loser either. So I ended up visiting Oklahoma for the five hours I had hoped for. OK golf —check!
From there I drove back to Springfield and visited the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. Associated with Johnny Morris, the CEO of Bass Pro Shops, it is an amazing place. First of all it is DARK. Second of all, many of the tanks are designed to make you feel like you are underwater. Third of all, the diversity of water life available there was amazing. Mostly fish, but also snakes, birds, lizards, gators, etc. And honestly, now that I have seen how big many fish get in both salt and fresh waters, I doubt I will ever swim outside of a pool again. It also has several areas dedicated to the worlds of Bass, Deep Sea, and Fly fishing. A beautiful wildlife photography display and of course, a very well stocked Bass Pro Shop. There was much to look at, and you could easily dally in there all day long, even if the ever present darkness is a bit disorienting. But I had one more stop before picking up Dale.
I had scheduled a Haunted Castle Tour of the Pythian Castle. I thought it would be a lark, I mean I am a huge zombie and horror novel fan. But, I was shocked to find myself incredibly uncomfortable through the entire thing. The castle’s history does not include any horrible deaths, but its history began as a retirement home and sometimes orphanage, and morphed into a rehab hospital for burn victims of WW2 and a POW housing facility. So did anybody die unhappy there? Well its likely. And all I know is that everything about the place made me uncomfortable. The minute I was back outside, I was just fine. Hmmmmm. I was so amped up afterwards I talked Dale’s ear off on the ride back to the RV. I doubt I’ll be booking any more of those kind of adventures in the future!
Dale had a fun time in Alaska, although not at all a successful one. But he came back ready for moving day, and we packed up and began our trek towards Nebraska. We had one stop in El Dorado Kansas. We had reservations at a Harvest Host at the Prairie Trails Golf Course, but Dale made the call we should camp nearby where we can have hookups – the humidity has been horrendous! But, we stopped and golfed anyway. We had a good time, the course was in great shape and the staff was so friendly. If it wasn’t so hot, it would be a great place to stay the night!
Then we were off to Beatrice, NE for three nights with our friends Brian and Sandy Scheele. We had every intention of staying in the RV in their driveway, but our stay corresponded with the three windiest and hottest days of the year! The hot was tempered by the wind, but we all felt safer closing it up and sleeping in the house. We did keep both our tee times, even though we were golfing in gale force winds. The second day the winds were so strong our balls wobbled on the tees and it would push you around will you readied your swing, so we called it after nine holes. Mother Nature has been rather bitchy this year! We also played a lot of cribbage, trying like heck to stop Dale’s winning streak. It didn’t matter who his partner was he would win. Until the he/we were brought done by the mighty Scheele partnership. It was fast and it was fun, and then it was time for us to move on.
We planned another Harvest Host stay at the Niobrara Valley Winery in Nenzel, NE. What a wonderful hidden treasure! The Winery/Vineyard offers both traditional HH stays (no hookups) or an RV park stay (electricity). We chose the power. Then enjoyed a tasting and appetizers at the winery, and if we’d known, we could have stayed for dinner too. The wine was good and I learned that Nebraska uses a specially cultivated grape designed for their growing season. I was so intrigued I began to second guess my resistance to trying wines from the other states we’d been. So next rotation, this will change! They have a nice paved walking trail, and because its in the middle of farmland, its a quiet and dark sky place to stay. What a treasure. We could easily put this on a regular rotation as we wander the United States.
And finally, we landed in Spearfish, South Dakota where we have been for the last four nights. Our mission, while here, is to become residents of the state. And it is now official. While not totally pain free (SEC rules require financial institutions to have both a residential address and a mailing address) but as far as the state of SD goes, we are residents here. We have brand new drivers licenses and have been busy doing the mail updates and registering Goliath in this state. We also managed to get our SD golf in —check! There was no need for visits to the National Parks here because we visited them in 2022. Spearfish itself has been a pleasant surprise, it being the first town we’ve visited which looks to be a potential for home ownership one day in the future. For now, though, we are content to make it a place to rotate through on a regular basis!
And that, Dear Readers, has been our month of June so far! We are very happy to report that the weather is seeming to even out and we have some lovely days ahead of us. It’s remarkable that for all intents and purposes, we have nearly completed a rotation of this country! I have to say nearly, because Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are not teeny states. We are getting excited to start the long term planning for the next rotation and I will be sharing with you all the new improvements and nuances we plan to incorporate. So stay tuned and I’ll be back soon! Thinking of you, Lady Wanderingwise
Weise's Wanderings 
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