Weather is a Big Factor

The plan was to leave Baraga...









head to Munising to stay at a campground and take the cruise to see Pictured Rocks Lakeshore but since it called for rain for the next few days, we opted to head straight for Brimley and if weather permitting we would drive the Jeep back to see Pictured Rocks Lakeshore within the next few days,

We drove M-28 which was a nice scenic drive but the road was either very rough or it had so much construction that we did not make good time at all. Many of the construction areas were down to one lane so there were many times it was stop and then go for a few miles then more of the stop and go all the way to the 221 turnoff into Brimley

Bay Mills Casino RV Park is located right on the Whitefish Bay which is connected to Lake Superior and is in a great area. The weather cooperated until we settled in and then the rain and cold set in so we decided to play a little at the casino. It was still raining and really cold at 1am when we headed back to our rig and we got wet crossing the road back to the park…we should have waited for the shuttle but we felt we were so close. Big mistake…getting wet and it being so cold got the best of me and the cold was initiated within my bones.

Arriving in Michigan

Left a bit later than we expected but after all we are on vacation! Headed out of the campground and had a great drive. Feeling good to be on vacation and once again be just us…tourists…travelers…writers…photographers…loving our lives and having fun!

Once again we missed the turn to keep us on US-2 into Wisconsin but of course we were right on course…we found a Wal-Mart where we needed to be to return our coffee pot that had totally quit working that morning.

Arriving in Michigan we stopped at the Welcome Center to pickup literature about the places we plan to explore. There was the nicest lady assisting us…she knew so much about all the places we wanted to visit and she listened. So many times people try to be helpful but in their own journey not in where others want to go but she was exceptionally helpful for our needs.

We drove longer than we normally do due to several stops we made and the hour loss driving into Eastern Standard Time zone. Arrived at Ojibwa Casino after 5pm where they had 12 sites with 30/50 amp full hookups for $15. All the sites were back-ins so we had to unhook…not what we usually like to do while we are traveling but we have become such experts now that it is no big deal any longer to unhook and hook up in the morning.

The restaurant located in the casino was a small, clean with a nice atmosphere and friendly server. The food was great and reasonably priced. The casino was small but we had a great time…the machines were loose…we played for a few hours and did not spend a cent…we actually got back our dinner and camping cost as well…now that is fun! Check out our reviews for the entire review of our site and the restaurant at the casino.

Our Vacation Begins…

We will need to learn to take off the “work” hats and replace them with the “play” hats…not always an easy task for us to do but we are determined to slow down the next few months and just have some fun!

Our work is done in Aitkin, Minnesota and we are off to enjoy our time traveling. We have many plans ahead…Upper Peninsula of Michigan…Lower part of Michigan…Cedar Pointe…work a few of the tracks on the NASCAR circuit before heading back to Phoenix to the race and hang out for a few months until back on the NASCAR circuit beginning in January.

Please come back often for our updates and new photos with our new camera…this is going to be great!

New Camera Practice

Here are some of our photos we have been practicing with the past few days with our new camera. We are in great anticipation of many more photos to come during our next adventure beginning in just a few more days!

Beware of Broadway Photo

This was one of those moments that we decided to be open to new ideas and create new horizons. When we purchase online, we normally do it with Wal-Mart but while researching for our new camera we found a deal too good to pass up.

Our favorite camera broke…the piece that turns it on snapped off so we have been using our other camera but wanted to replace it prior to us heading into our next adventure which is happening in less than two weeks now.
After extensive research, we narrowed it down and then finally a few weeks ago we decided which one we would get…then…finding the best price. Wal-Mart, as usual, was priced the lowest until we found Broadway Photo online. For a savings of over $150 and having an additional lens added to the package was just too good to pass up.

During the ordering process with one of there representatives and after reading everything very carefully just to be sure that what they were offering was exactly what Wal-Mart was offering. Nowhere, in the description of this product did it indicate any difference but of course there was a major difference. As we spoke, they began offering me additional batteries and other accessories for this camera, of course with a bigger price tag…each time I politely refused knowing that what was included in this package was more than enough for our needs. Then just as we were about to seal the deal…they asked if I was aware that this was an “Import” product. Being unfamiliar with this term I asked for an explanation. The information they gave me was that all plugs, etc. would only work in the foreign countries and if I plan to use it in the USA then we would need to upgrade to that package or buy the necessary “accessories“ to change it over. Either way, the price has now reached far beyond the Wal-Mart price with or without the additional lens that was included.

There are many great deals online but one thing for sure…always be careful and ask plenty of questions to make sure you are getting exactly what you want before finalizing your order, we are sure glad we did. Needless to say we did not order it from them but instead went through Wal-Mart to purchase our new camera and we look forward to sharing all of our great photos of our upcoming journeys with all of you.

Choices...

Our lives are constantly about choices…some easy and others not so easy but for everything that needs to be done there are many choices to make. This is something that for most of our lives we thought we didn’t have…we felt that we had to do it a certain way and never by the way we chose to do things. But, life has a way of repeating itself to you until you “get it”, we now understand.

Many of the choices we make on a daily basis are internal and not verbalized outward. This internal dialogue is the most important part of our journey, it is what we hear and listen to 24/7 and it is how we end up making our dreams come true or leaving them on the roadside. When we continue to update this internal dialogue with the better choices, the more positive ones, we get the full benefit of living our lives in the moment. Not bringing the past into our daily choices has been one of the most challenging parts of our journey since we have always carried our badges of pain outwardly for all to see.

Our own stories have been told and retold so many times that we had always carried them with us and used them as often as we could. Telling our story is not a bad thing, but reliving it every time we tell it is no longer acceptable for us. Life is certainly about choices and we choose to live our lives to the fullest, richest and in the moment as often as we choose.

Some of the Things We are Grateful For…

Our Marriage…It is not always easy to find someone that you can share your life with but we did and it gets better every day. Our dreams always seem to mesh with one another’s and when they don’t we compromise…always compromise! We are best friends…this gets us through those moments when things just aren’t going as we would like our lives to go and we are able to see it for what it is and never put the blame on one another.

Our Lifestyle…Traveling around our country is the best thing we have done for ourselves ever. This is exactly where we are suppose to be in our lives at this time and it feels right. We are able to see spectacular scenery…touch unique things…taste different foods…feel the difference in the air…hear the different sounds each part of the country has to offer.

Our Health…A few aches and pains but for the most part we have great health. We have never been doctor people and have always believed that what ails us can be cured by not dwelling on it, instead living our lives to the fullest. That thought process continues to work as we age quite gracefully…not really always graceful as last night my back locked up and it was not a pretty sight getting off the couch.
Material Items…We have so much to be thankful for in our material world…our home…our Jeep…our clothes…and of course all of our stuff…which by the way we have been purging the past few weeks and the things we thought we could not live without has now been donated to some worthy causes and we continue to release many more of those items every day. There are some that we are still unable to let go of…items that still have that sentimental tug connected to our hearts but we are working on letting those go as well…all in good time.

Living our lives “simply” has been a masterful way to achieve all that we had been looking for in our lives and just had not been able to accomplish in the past. We now are very aware of what and how our lives need to be lived and it is not about what we have that counts…it is about what we do with what we have…how we share what we have and most importantly how we feel about what we have. Life is good and we are so very grateful for this moment…thank you!

When I Do Not Write...

It feels as if a part of me disappears when I do not write for extended periods of time and my life sort of just exists instead of truly living to my fullest. This is also a warning that something is amiss in my life, the way it has been now for the past few months.

We again made a choice to come off the NASCAR tour for a short time to do a favor for a friend, so we have been working a campground for the past few months and are ready to move on now but have another month to go. The good news is that we plan to visit and work a few tracks this season before totally going for a much fuller NASCAR season next year.

We are so excited that our dream is finally coming to light. It took us this long to finally realize that in order to have our dream come true we have to totally and unequivocally believe in it, have faith and never give up. For the past few years since coming out on the road we have had many obstacles, but many of those have been self induced. What I mean by that is we settle for what we feel we deserve, we feel we need to punish ourselves because we made a few bad choices in our lives and then we accept what is handed to us instead of hanging in there for the best possible solutions to come to us. This we are working on daily, with each passing moment and challenge we are learning and growing into even more magnificent spiritual beings.

Challenges, obstacles and nuisances will no longer stop our travels and our dreams of following the NASCAR circuit. We have once and for all convinced ourselves that we know best on what is good for us and that what others may want for us is not always in our best interest. We will be thankful and grateful for all the experiences that come our way but we will no longer have them control our paths to our dream life.

For our many readers who have been inquiring where our reviews, stories and photos have been for the past few months…they are forthcoming and the future is brighter for many more on our journeys just ahead.

What Would You Change If You Won The Lottery?

When we are living our dream life…the answer to this question would be…just continue what we are doing only with more money. That is where we always want to be…and when the answer to this question changes our place we are or where we want to be is when we have to once again get centered. We are either living our dream lifestyle or we are not and no amount of money will ever change that…more money will only make our lifestyle a bit more easier to do but will not change our journey.

It’s taken a few weeks for us to get back to our dream lifestyle but we are there once again. We have set up a few tracks to get us through this season but have also confirmed most of the tracks for next season. Finally…we are able to live our dream life, working at the tracks and traveling around this beautiful country. Now if we won the lottery we would just continue living our lives just the way they are…only with more money!

Happy Birthday Austin!

This has been a difficult day…times of sadness because this is the 3rd birthday of yours that we have missed…times that we are unsure that we could ever forgive your mother…then other times where all we can do is feel sorry for her. We hope that when you get older and find out the truth of all of this fiasco that you do not become angry at your mother, she is doing the best she can with what she knows at this time in her life and when she knows better, she will do better.

Is your favorite food still tomatoes? Do you still dislike meat? Are you still having conversations and feeling Boosha’s spirit around you? Do you still like watching NASCAR? Do you still love reading? Are you still doing so well in school and do you still like it as much as you always did? Are you still laughing all the time? Do you still love traveling as much as you did when we took you on vacations? Is there still that sparkle in your eyes when you use to tell me how much you loved me?

There are so many other questions we wish we could ask you today…we wish we could hear your voice…we wish we could hug you…and we wish we could laugh with you as we always use to do. We both miss you very much and wish you could be a part of our lives now but until the day we can be with you again…please remember that you are always in our thoughts and know that Nana and Papa loves you no matter what…we love you just the way you are and would never do anything to hurt you or your mother.

Circle Pines KOA in Williams, Arizona

Now that we left and had a few weeks to mull it all over, we will share with everyone our experience at Circle Pines KOA, located in Williams, Arizona. We learned after the deplorable conditions we endured on our very first Workamping experience that we would never settle for this ever again. And as life usually has a way of testing us to be sure that we learned the lesson it sent it our way once again. The difference was this time was the conditions were not deplorable but the management was not up to our standards.

The campground is a fantastic place to visit and we would highly recommend it to anyone that asks, but our workamping experience was a bit different than being a guest. To read our review for the campground, please go to our Zee Map.

This was one of those last moment, desperate decisions for us so we are truly guilty of not listening to the red flags that should have warned us. Upon our arrival, we almost immediately began to feel the confusion among management/owners and the Workampers. When asking questions, simple questions like, “Where should we park our rig?” Getting responses like “I don’t know” was not setting real well with us but we tried to overlook some of the disorganization. It soon became apparent that the communication between management and owners was not very good and then between management and Workampers was even worse.

We began to notice the constant talking behinds others backs, not just talk about the owners and other Workampers but about the guests as well. Then the prejudicial remarks about the “foreign” guests was more than I could handle and this went on every day. The management did not speak very highly of the owners and many times were just very disrespectful, we could not see what they continued to complain about since all of our encounters with the owners were very professional and highly entertaining.

We had a signed agreement which changed by the moment and they were not honoring many of the things that were on the agreement. Lack of communication and inexperience from management, we believe is to blame for most of the confusion. We were not informed that we HAD to work at least 32 hours or we would be charged for our site, even though we were being paid for all hours worked and they were making out our schedules which were changed continuously.

There were also many perks offered to us in writing, such as “deeply discounted” or “free” tickets to local attractions that once we inquired about these, we were told that we would not get them until much later into our time there. Oh, by the way, we even had an issue with our last paychecks, even after we gave all the needed information to the owner, when we last spoke to her she apologized and advised us that management had “forgot” to send them to us as requested and was glad we called or they would still be sitting there.

Even though the location was fabulous…just sixty miles from the Grand Canyon…with many other sightseeing events within a short distance and the campground itself was clean and many amenities that were very enticing but we decided a long time ago that we would much rather work for people that say what they mean and mean what they say.

Where Has Our Daughter Gone?

"no mo pics of my son
o by the way kim u will not get any mo pics of my boy... and post on yo web page ha ha ha ha.... get yo info anotha way..... "

These are the sort of messages I have been receiving from my daughter. This is NOT the way she was raised but she has been receiving some very bad advice from the characters she has been "hanging" with and it is not very becoming of her. I raised a lovely young lady who has always had a problem choosing the right people to have in her life and since she has chosen to keep us out of her life it has been difficult to watch my daughter disappear and become this person that is so hateful, angry and destructive not only to herself but also to our grandson, Austin.

We have been advised that Austin is being ridiculed verbally from Chrissy and some of her chosen family and friends. They belittle him for being who he is and who we always allowed him to be because they want him to be who they think he should be, this tough little guy instead of being a very gentle soul who is unique. He is not allowed to show his real feelings and when we are mentioned, some of them are quite adamant about us being bad grandparents who are no longer in his life because we chose to “Go Traveling”. He is subjected daily to this abuse that she feels is normal...it is not and should not continue but it will just as long as she allows and participates in.

It is hard for a mother to see her child do this, not only to herself but to a very innocent boy, our grandson, Austin. I am no longer proud of my daughter. Christyna Godlaski (Muldoon) is not my daughter, she has become someone that I no longer choose to have in my life. She has made her choice now and we can no longer stand by and watch her destroy not only herself but Austin as well. She has gone beyond any hope and I am no longer able to reach her. She is lost and confused but I cannot subject myself to her destruction any longer.

On June 28, 1999 we were in the delivery room when Austin was born. We have loved him, helped raise him for the first 6 years of his life, and we have done everything to try to have him in our lives now but the pain it causes us now is unbearable that we have decided we will not subject ourselves to any longer. She has taken precious years from us that we could never ever replace and even though we have dug deep inside ourselves, we do not believe we could ever truly forgive her for that and we know that she would always hold it over our heads that if we ever say or do anything that would "piss" her off she would take him away from us again. All this time we have been waiting for her to forgive us but in reality what I said and done during that argument a few years ago does not even come close to the destruction she has put upon this entire situation. We will not stand by and watch her continue to go deeper into this black hole she is making for herself and taking her son with her.

We have to let go…this is the hardest decision we have ever made, but for us to be able to live any sort of healthy lifestyle, this is exactly what we must do. It will not always be easy since they continue contacting us and Austin’s 9th birthday is fast approaching but we will do our best to live our lives without our child and grandchild. We will continue to pray that when Austin gets older and truly knows the truth of what happened that he will contact us and we can repair all the damage that has been done but until then we will go on with our lives without our children.

Lucky But Long Driving Day

We drove almost 500 miles today…we do not do this very often but it was a perfect day and everything went right.

We left early in the morning and ended up taking Interstate 90 for much longer than we anticipated because it was such a nice hilly drive. We continued on US-83 through Pierre, the capital of South Dakota and we noticed many both width and height restrictions on several of the roads throughout the area, none which affected us since we are under 10’ wide and just over 10’ high. The road was pretty rocky in several places, so rocky that we thought everything was going to rattle out of the cupboards. We picked up US-12 to take us east through South Dakota, then north on I-29 into North Dakota. A new State and as you can see we accomplished the photo of the State Line which was tricky but doable.

Just upon entering North Dakota, we found Dakota Magic…they had RV Parking, flat, level slabs with FHU for under $11 that we barely fit with our tow hooked up, which adds up to 44’ but we made it work. We ate at the buffet which was good but was highly priced, just under $40 for the two of us but the machines were so loose we ended up hitting jackpot after jackpot and we walked away with much more than we came in with, including all expenses of eating and lodging paid for by them. Our neighbors had a barking dog and they were not in their rig so we called security and within minutes they found the owners and they quieted the dogs. That to us is service.

Mount Rushmore & Crazy Horse

This was an amazing journey for us…this was one of those moments in our lives that encourages us to move forward with every challenge we encounter. We never thought that one day we would be visiting this place, but yet here we were in the midst of an infamous sight that many have and will only see in photos or on television but we were here. The awesomeness of this sight was breathtaking and then when we took the time to read about the development of these statues, both Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse…it was even more amazing.

The ride up to Mount Rushmore is almost as spectacular as standing at the base of this enormous creation. Over some almost roller coaster like bridges, up, down and around some narrowly curves and through some tunnels makes it a sight seeing spectacular. Once arriving at the Monument, there is plenty to do with the tours, stores, treats and souvenirs to keep you busy for quite awhile. They have a place to eat some lunch and our favorite an ice-cream store with some great flavors.

At the Crazy Horse Monument, be sure to take the 20-minute tour so you can see just where your $20 entry fee goes…no government money has ever been accepted for this ongoing project and they really want to keep it that way all the way to the completion of it. There is also a $4 bus ride that takes you up close and personal that is surely a ride not to miss.

We could go deeper into explanation of the many wonderful things that the Black Hills of South Dakota have to offer but instead we will leave you with the idea that someday in your travels you just have to journey into this area to see these spectacular landmarks for yourselves.

Back on the Road Again

Felt good to be back on the road again…we headed out first thing in the morning and continued seeing antelope everywhere. Drove Interstate 25 for a little longer than we had planned since we missed our turnoff and went 15 miles out of the way before we realized it…ooops, my bad! Finally came back to make our turnoff on US-20, the road was a bit bumpy in Wyoming but became really smooth in Nebraska.

We crossed two State Lines again today, but did not accomplish our needed photos. That seems to be an issue with traveling the roads less traveled, the State Lines are not as noted as they are on the Interstates but all it means is that we will need to travel to those States again someday.

Entering South Dakota on US-385...continuing onto SD-79...then onto US-16 right to Rapid City was the plan but while still on SD-79 we came across this wonderful campground located right at the road to Mount Rushmore and it was only noon. We had such a great traveling day that we decided to stay at Heartland Campground & RV Park for the night. We were hooked up and the Jeep was unhooked in a matter of minutes and we were on our way to visit Mount Rushmore and other sight seeing events in the area.

Please see our other articles on this website, Our Reviews and Our Photos of our day at Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and the beautiful drive through the area.

Rainy Day - No Travel

The rains and the winds continued through the night…we had been so lucky so far and we didn’t want to test it so we decided to stay in Casper one more night. We were just about done with our laundry when the campground lost power…not due to any storm but the local electric company was doing a major fix on a pole nearby and it was down for a little over an hour. While we were looking out the window…again…we seen more antelope…coming right through the campground.

Gas prices have been right around the $4 mark…lowest we’ve paid was $3.85...highest paid was $4.29. The really good news is we have been getting great gas mileage…the lowest was 6.9mpg and the highest was 8.9mpg and most times it has been over 8mpg…even the high gas prices will not stop us from pursuing our dreams…we just may have to take on more work but we will never stop traveling.

Antelope Everywhere

Continued on I-80E into Rawlins, Wyoming where we then picked up WY-789 to WY-220 into Casper, Wyoming. We started seeing antelopes almost immediately and continued seeing more and more…everywhere we looked…far enough from the road but they were all over the fields. These roads were breathtaking…nice open roads where you could see for miles.

The Wal-Mart in Casper was a really nice one so we did our shopping then headed for the Casper KOA just a few miles away. We had perfect timing again from the weather…just as we pulled in and got hooked up, complete with cable, the wind and rain began so we had a very relaxing evening catching up on some of our TV programs.

Crossing Two New State Borders Today

We headed north on 93 to 93Alternate…both are wonderful roads…smooth…no big grades…only a gradual climb through the mountain. Made it to the Utah border, which is already one we have crossed together but we never got a good photo and once again we were unable to accomplish the task…looks like another trip into Utah is warranted.

We then headed on I-80E through the Bonneville Salt Flats…nothing to see since no cars were on it as Jerry explained he had seen the last time he ventured down this road. The only thing we seen this time was miles and miles of white salt…almost like a snow effect.

Went through Salt Lake City…now this was a bit on the knuckle driving side. There was construction…as much as there was when we last went through this city almost ten years ago…there was a time we almost got squeezed between two semi trucks…but I think my screaming at the top of my lungs, “FASTER…JERRY…FASTER” surely must have helped.

We made it into Evanston, Wyoming where we did get our pin and photo for crossing into Wyoming.

The plan was to stop there for the night…do a Wal-Mart run and a few other errands but this town was for some reason unsettling for us…just very uncomfortable and the dirtiest Wal-Mart and Post Office we had ever stopped at…so we continued on about 40 miles into Lyman, Wyoming…where we found a nice KOA to spend the night. Don’t forget to see our review of this and other campgrounds we have stayed at our Zee Map

Headed North From Laughlin

Decided to take a more northern route out of Laughlin so we headed up 93 towards Ely, Nevada, whichever way you take out of Laughlin, it seems it’s a big climb but it has to be done.

We drove through Caliente, Nevada and what a cute little town, another major climb in and again out of this town but the scenery was breathtaking. Seen some wild mustangs and either a moose or an elk, my first response was it was a moose but upon looking closer, we think it was an elk. A nice calm day of driving and what a great road…just as we like it…no traffic…scenic…smooth.


Stopped for the night at the KOA in Ely…don’t forget to check out our reviews of the parks we visit while on this journey.

Our Journey Begins

We left Williams, Arizona bright and early in the morning…we were excited about being on the road again. A quick stop for gas and down Interstate 40 we went heading west for just a short while…until we turned onto Old Highway 66 at exit 139.

We drove 66 all the way into Kingman, Arizona and what a fabulous road…fairly smooth…very scenic…light traffic…just an enjoyable, leisurely drive. There was a patch of area where it was “Prairie Dog Haven”, they were all over the place…popping out of their holes…sitting on the roadside munching…running across the highway…ooops…one didn’t make it…he stopped right in front of us to look and well…splat! Later we also tagged a big bird…they were all feasting on the fresh deer on the roadside and this one stayed a little longer then he should have and tried to dodge us at the last minute…just couldn’t get totally out of our way when we heard the thud and seen feathers flying…then from the rear view mirrors we seen him taking a quick dive to the ground…by this time we were long gone.

There were a few small towns we past that were just adorable…Truxton was one that reminded us of a little western town that was just the way we would imagine it to be.

We opted to stay the night in Laughlin, Nevada since we had some free stuff coming to us. We got a room and had a nice, long, hot, shower where I was able to dye my hair and do all the necessary shavings. Any full-timer out there can totally relate to this experience. It was nice to be in an air conditioned room since it was just over 100 that day with a slight breeze but of course it was a really hot breeze. We did the usual casino hopping…hit a few jackpots…ate a buffet and just had some fun for the night