Turning North

The Days Get Longer



4/24, 25, 26 Custer State Park, South Dakota. This area was a bit of a surprise being more interesting than anticipated. Were it not for the fencing around the campground the buffalo would have wandered right through. The fence was not high enough to keep the pronghorned sheep out or the deer. The main attraction in the area is the Mount Rushmore National Monument.
Mile 2725

The grass IS greener on the other side

Lots of young ones

Just like at home, they cross at their own speed

Black Hills of South Dakota

Custer State Park

4/27, Day 30: A short day run from Custer SP was supposed to be a an overnight stop at Devils Tower, Wyoming but weather did us in again. Snow! It is not supposed to snow here at the end of April. Oh well! We hole up in Sundance, WY for the night. BTW, we didn't see The Kid.

Mile 2835

4/28, Day 31: Onward to Billings, Montana to drop Jenny off. Miles & miles of wild open cattle country.
Mile 3130

4/29, Day 32: There is just a little life left in Jenny's credit card so she puts it out of its misery before getting dropped off at the airport for a late afternoon/overnight flights home.

4/30, 5/3, Day 33, 34: This was supposed to be just an overnight in  Great Falls Montana but that four letter word, WIND, has us laying over for an extra day. We have alot of respect for wind.
Mile 3357

A sleepy N Montana town

Montana high plains

Montana

Montana

Busy Montana Highway

5/4,5,6,7, Day 37,37,38,39: Beautiful days drive north from Great Falls to Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. We had planned to cross the border at the ajoining Glacier National Park gateway. We navigated almost there only to find that the crossing was still closed. Snow. That meant a 30 mile detour to Cardston. Where we sailed through immigration & customs without having to get out of the truck or open the trailer. We were waved into Waterton Park no charge & rolled on into the village only to find that the campground was closed. Nobody at the gatehouse & gate open sooo we rolled on in. No services, no water but power turned on. We set up & were the only ones in the campground for the first night. Stayed for 4 nights & never had a visit from any staff looking for money. Great Deal. Spectacular scenery.
Mile 3577

Not alot at the Canadian border. No fence, no gate.

Empty Waterton Lakes campground

Prince of Whales CP hotel, Waterton Lakes

Time: 10:30PM

5/8, Day 41: Since we were on a cheap roll why not continue. All we needed was a sort of midway place to sleep between Waterton & Edmonton. The Bass Pro shop carpark at the end of a mall north of Calgary fitted the needs perfectly.  
Mile 3758

5/9,10 Day 42, 43: The Edmonton stop was purely to visit old friends & a former work friend of Carolyn's. Good timing too as it was a birthday for one. Mileagewise Edmonton happens to be the halfway point between Tilghman, Maryland, our start point & Homer, Alaska, our furthest point west.
Mile 3940