August 2010

We left Wisconsin by 8:30 this morning having said our goodbyes last night we hit the road early.  Still we were driving until a little after 5PM.  The drive from north to south in Illinois is all pretty much the same – boring-  no offense to anyone from Illinois – the interstate driving in most any state is boring – but more convenient and faster than the highways. We are ready to get home after being gone so long ( I am anyway)

Tonight we are still about 8 hours from home and we are camped outside of the town of Benton, IL.

Along the way today the interesting sights we saw:

Windmills and fields – photo is fuzzy and taken while we were driving – you are seeing what I was seeing

Truck traffic:

Pretty clouds:

Fields and rivers:

Road construction – again photo taken through car window (included splattered bugs):

We are now into southern Illinois – the scenery is changing and we are now seeing more trees and less cornfields:

Oh no – now we are seeing dried up trees and it is up to 95 degrees!!

And more dried trees at the rest area – I am beginning to dread seeing my trees at home:

It is 8:30 PM and it is 84 degrees outside – we have not seen it this hot in weeks.  I saw on the weather that it is to be around 100 tomorrow (Saturday) and heat index of 115!!!! OMG it is going to take awhile to get used to this.

Have no idea if I will blog Saturday night after we get home – I have a feeling I will be too tired. I will blog on Sunday though for sure – in between doing laundry and grocery shopping (which will have to be either early if I am up early or in the evening – I don’t think I will be outside much in the afternoon!)  I will need to get back to the quilting frame as well – I can’t air out my house it will be too hot – will have to make due with some cleaning with Lysol to get rid of the musty smell that for sure will welcome me when I open the door!!  Opening door and windows will have to wait for cooler weather.

Sorry for no interesting photos today – you see what I saw LOL Vacation is pretty much over

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We were on our way by 8:30 to go to the Apple Orchard which already had two different kinds of apples ready for picking.  Jessica wanted to can applesauce.  A really nice farm was to be seen. When you first walk into the barn to get the information – find out where to go ect. there was a nice wooden troll – this is a Norwegian family that runs this orchard, Ciera got a kick out of the troll and had to poise with it :

We were pointed in the right direction and told how to pick apples and the children told nicely to not climb the trees.  Off we went down the gravel way to the correct area of the orchard. Utah started to lead the way taking charge:

We passed many trees and many varieties:

Finally we got to the correct row:

I had not heard of this variety – but they make good applesauce:

The trees were covered in apples:

Getting busy:

I think the discussion was can more apples be fit in the bag – we were told we could fill it as full as we possible could – this bag holds a 1/2 peck.

All of a sudden Mike found out that his job here was not to just take photos it was to carry the heavy bag back to the car!  (I took the photos though that are on this post – I haven’t seen his photos yet)

Jessica and Ciera – Ciera is tired – and hot – she asked why didn’t we come even earlier and was told because the farm was still asleep then!

Walking back to the front of the farm – other people were there too – a popular farm.

Looking at the flowers:

More flowers:

Signs with the rules of the farm:

How full to fill the bags:

Cute signs:

Ready to hit the road and go home to make applesauce – and one pie!

Well our time here in Wisconsin has come to a close.  We are back to the campground tonight getting things ready to leave in the morning.  We decided to do the drive in two days as it will be too hot to do anything but sit in the camper anyhow.  We will be home on Saturday late in the day.

Don’t know if we will have internet tomorrow night but most likely as we will pull off at a KOA near the interstate in Southern Illinois.  Our trip is coming to a close.  Most likely there will be nothing much to take photos of tomorrow on the drive we will be on the interstate and that is always boring – I will check my mail though tomorrow.

Glad you all came along for the trip – I had fun doing the blog posts and posting photos.

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Wednesday was a full day of one thing to do after another.  It was time to hit the museums of Madison which are found all one after another sometimes next door to each other and some down a block or two – all are in the Capital Square area which is beautiful and one street full of restaurants.

We started the museums off at the History Museum.  The kids enjoy museums but we go through them much faster than if it is just Mike and I.  We still saw a lot though.  First up was arrowheads and flints:

Indian Bead Work:

Wow what a dress – these are silver bells all over it.  I would think it a little heavy also – a celebration dress of course most likely only worn once in awhile.

One antique quilt:

This sign goes with the quilt almost 150 years old.

A lovely painted bowl – I thought I had the writing on the card good enough but I see I don’t.  I believe it was made by a Polish person. I know I have seen painting on wood like this that from Russia and that is very close to Poland so maybe the art is the same type.

Another Polish art work – this is called Polish Wycinanki – I actually have a quilt pattern of this some where in a magazine that I kept to do some time down the road.  I believe the quilt pattern is either needle turn appliqué or reverse appliqué.

Can’t see a Wisconsin Museum without a dairy cow!

An antique sewing machine – couldn’t see a name on it other than Singer – I have no idea how old it is.

At the Children’s Museum – a roof top garden with a sand box.  Our 10 year old Utah is a beginning teacher at the karate studio (he does what is referred to as “shadow teaching” to mostly younger kids) that he goes to and he got right in there with the younger kids and started to make sand snow balls and was handing them out to all the kids.  Such patience – one of the kids would accidently break one and he would get another one ready to hand out.

Kids doing one of the things they do best – being silly:

A treat on the way home:

Then it was time to cool off in the pool at the campground:

Tomorrow morning going to an apple orchard is the plan – apples are ready for picking – it is going to be hot tomorrow (86) so good thing it is open in the morning – no sleeping in on our last day!

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Several have asked why no photos inside of the store – I was so eager to get inside I didn’t think to bring my camera with me   If you go to this link and click on the photo you can take a virtual tour through the store:  http://millhousequilts.com/our-history.php

Also people thought I was too conservative in my shopping!!  LOL  I really and truly do not need a lot of supplies right now.  I have plenty of fabric at home and I try not to buy too many patterns.  I have found in the past that if I buy, buy, buy when at quilt shops chances are that I eventually change my likes and dislikes and I don’t want more patterns sitting around not being used, or fabric that I am thinking “why did I buy that”  instead when I have a new project going and if I don’t have the fabric then I buy because I know what I want.  This way I keep my stash under control and do not have patterns that I will never use.  The first time I went to the Paducah quilt show I came home with so much stuff and I hate to say it but I have not used some of it still and it has been 4 or 5 years!!

Most likely because I do not machine quilt and sometimes handpiece and do a lot of hand applique I do not make as many quilts as some of you and don’t need as large of a stash.

Today was a busy day – the History Museum, lunch, Veterans Museum, and then the Children’s Museum – back to the campground so the kids could use the pool and then back to the house.  I will get photos out from some of the places later.

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First of all before I forget if you go to Mike’s post he posted some of our photos from our walk – UP – Independence Rock last month – you can see me close to the top on his photo there – it was quite a climb – you have to kind of lean forward when you are walking up a rock and keep zig zagging up so it isn’t quite as steep that way.

http://hawcreekoutdoors.com/blog/independence-rock/ (Mike’s post)

It makes me look kind of small on that big rock!

One of the first things I do when I come to this area in a free moment is run over to Millhouse Quilts to look around.  It is really my favorite quilt shop seeing as I have no local quilt shop at home.  Yesterday my daughter asked if there was anything we wanted to see or do while we were here – and then she added “besides going to the quilt shop” knows me well I think! LOL  I thought maybe I better get that done first today and get it done!

And I really and truly did not buy much – I tried to stay true to my pledge to not buy fabric other than backing and backgrounds.  I think this package of pastel fat quarters qualify as background don’t you and only one pattern – that is not so bad, a drawing pad of graph paper seeing as I do not use a computer program, and a package of neutral charms!  I was good.

Then after I got back to the camper to pick up Mike we headed over to the house.  One of the dogs had a vet appointment for shots – Jessica took care of that and  Mike and I had grandparent duty and took the kids over to the new neighborhood park that is not quite finished – but the basketball hoops were up so we brought the ball with us and had a game of shooting hoops.  I had not shot hoops in a long time but I am pleased to say I dropped it in about 10 or 12 times – it helps that I am not short (5’8”) and have long arms.  I do not jump well anymore and I do not run well due to my muscle/joint problems so we didn’t actually play a real game – but what Utah calls “horse” – I’m clueless about it but he kept score and when just he and I were playing I won one game and he won the other.  Then Mike joined us and he is taller and long arms too and he was dropping them in.  Ciera got tired of her bike and joined in also and managed to score!  It was girls against guys and I must say they wiped us out even though we tried to change the score numerous times by insisting they weren’t keeping score right – they wouldn’t believe us – they wouldn’t give it to us

Mr. Cool Dude Utah:

Getting ready to shoot:

Ciera rode her bike over and for awhile was more interested in running Utah over than playing the game:

The “princess” and her bike:

Then it was time to run out to the timeshare farm to pick up this weeks supply of vegetables.  Jessica is good at finding things like that so the family eats healthy.  Here is Utah in the car.

Ciera cuddling up with her Dad – Shane this evening watching tv.

Tomorrow we will be visiting the new children’s museum in Madison – should be a fun day – sounds like a lot of activities there – the cameras will be busy – I have my camera battery charging already!  I think Thursday we are picking apples at a farm – I think I will pick some to bring home with me too – they should keep well as we will only be two or three days drive from home when we leave here – I will be making some applesauce then I think.

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We left our campground around 9 this morning, we were in no rush, we only had a couple hours drive to go but we had several stops we wanted to make along the way.  About half way from where we were camped at and our daughters house is a fairly large outlet mall and I actually wanted to stop and see if there were any good sales as I have found some before – I was looking for a lightweight long sleeve robe to keep in the camper – one that wouldn’t take up much room.  I have been chilly often in the morning and have resorted to wearing a sweatshirt jacket at times   I found one and another pair of long pajama pants that I probably won’t need again after this week until fall!  At the way the weather is going at home the A/C will be on until well into October

The outlet mall:

The other stop we wanted to make was at a winery.  We had taken a tour through Wollersheim  Winery two years ago and had a wine tasting and we had found one we loved but cannot find in Arkansas and you can’t order it from out of state so we thought seeing as it was on the way we would stop and buy some to take home with us.  We don’t really drink all that much! But it is nice to have a wine that you like.  Here are some photos of the winery  – they have great landscaping.

And no I did not go up these steps! I have had enough of that seeing as my daughter lives in a two story house I will be getting enough steps in – there is a steep side walk though that we had to go up instead.

Pretty flowers – it is warmer here than usual also for the summer, but they have had a bit of rain.

A pretty arbor:

I love the twisted shape of the tree – the branches come over the sidewalk just right:

More pretty flowers:

Some of the mature vines:

And more vines:

We got to the campground we are staying at around 1 and Jessica and the kids got there a short time later – the kids wanted to play in the campground playground which they remembered from the last time we were there. (we are lucky in that the campground is on the edge of town and on the same side they are on – about a 5 minute drive)

Our grandson Utah playing horseshoes and goofing off:

Our granddaughter Ciera and our daughter Jessica in the pink shirt – our campsite is there over to the right across from the playground – nothing special about the campsite – but nice that the campground owner recognized me as I walked in the door – of course it was in the computer that we were recurring customers – but good relations to be so friendly – said she couldn’t believe it had been two years since we were there – I flew in last fall as Mike couldn’t make it as he was working then so I hadn’t been camping.

Getting his exercise – kids will be kids – instead of sliding down he was running up and balancing himself on the edges – he is a karate kid and has his moves down really good.

Looking thoughtful about something – very windy day and the hair wouldn’t stay still:

The dogs – Max is the larger and about 5 years old, Marley is the smaller one and is 4 months old – she will be a big dog too.

Tomorrow morning I will be breaking my promise not to buy fabric this year (I said I would only get backings and background – maybe that is what I will get I don’t know?) – I am going to my favorite quilting store – Millhouse Quilts first thing in the morning.  The quilt store is in the next town over, only about 10 miles away.  I love that place, such a big old building.  Jessica and the kids do not get off to as early of a start as we do in the mornings so I will be going over there in the morning and then over to Jessica’s later in the morning.

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On the 14th we traveled across South Dakota stopping in  Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the night.  No place special – a KOA by the interstate.  Photos from going across South Dakota. First this kind of land – mile after mile!

Forgive the fuzziness – taken from the car-sunflower fields:

Hayfields:

Today the 15th was spent going across the lower portion of Minnesota.  Farmland and barns and silo’s:

Today (the 15th) going across the Mississippi River into Wisconsin:

A view of the Mississippi River from the top of the bridge:

On the other side of the bridge is Western Wisconsin:

Some “wetlands” that we drove through on our way to our campsite tonight which is another KOA campground.  This one is about 4 miles from the interstate so we don’t hear it tonight!

Tomorrow the 16th we arrive at our daughter’s house.  They live outside of Madison on the eastside, out of the city and in a small community.  I will be on and off the computer especially first thing in the morning and at night so I will still continue to post now and then.  I have a few more videos I want to look at and upload and maybe I will find a few other things to post photos of  – like grandchildren

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(written on the 15th)

We visited this park 3 years ago when we were camping in a near by location and loved the look of the campgrounds here so decided to stop.  Only problem was the motorcycle rally going on!!  We didn’t know how many would be in the area – talk about noise and not seeing as much wildlife other than the buffalo that is!    So other than the buffalo we saw tons of deer, and we also got to see some more big horn sheep – these are all female:

A very pretty trail at the park – the lake is called Sylvan Lake.  I don’t know how many of you have seen the movie “National Treasure” the first one, starring Nicholas Cage?  There is one scene in the movie where they are running all over a bunch of rocks in a beautiful location – in the movie if I remember right it is at Mt. Rushmore – actually it is about 30 miles away I guess.  This is the lake and all the rocks used for that location.

When we got up to this point we could hear water – like a waterfall:

In between the opening here in the rocks – about half way down in the previous photo is a waterfall:

Thought that was pretty cool:

Can’t get away from the steps!  Go up the steps and around the corner and you are near the top of the small dam that is at the lake – continue around the side on the trail and you are almost back to where you started from:

This is the view you come out to on the other side:

And then you see this:

The waterfall I showed earlier is about in the middle of these rocks from the back side. A close up of the rocks.

Another view:

Our campsite – to the left of where Mike is sitting is a river (more like a creek actually):

The creek:

A playful squirrel that liked the area and didn’t leave us alone often:

We were at Custer State Park on the 12th and 13th.

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We found a really nice campground late in the afternoon on the 11th.  We did not realize how high in elevation it was though until we were leaving the area today!  We ended up a 9,500 feet elevation and it got down to 42 by 8:30 last night!  By 3 in the morning it was 36 degrees. ( On our weather channel thermostat there is a button you can push to see the high and lows for the day)

The campground site:

The campground host told us there was a nature trail that took about 45 minutes to walk and was located at the end of the campground – a loop trail.  We decided to take it after we finished an early supper meal.  It stays light out until 9:30 up here.  We left to start walking at 6 and got back by 7.

The host didn’t tell us how many ponds were scattered through out this trail! It was amazing one after another.  She did tell us that you could occasionally see moose.  We didn’t see any though.

And another, I love the reflection of the trees in the water:

We enjoyed our evening walk and looking at all of the pools of water.  Sorry we didn’t see a moose though!  We woke up early this morning (the 12th) and continued on our way by 8AM.  We arrived in South Dakota and Custer State Park.  I will do a post on that next.

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