Trip west & Canada 2014: Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota.

Since my last post we have traveled through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. We are at Downstream Campground (Corps of Engineer park) on the Missouri River near Riverdale, ND tonight 05/15/2014. It has been rainy and cold on this leg of our trip, except for today the sun has been shinning all day and no rain, but still very cool. Last night the temp got down to 29 at East Ashtabula campground near Valley City, ND, but it was nice and and warm in the camper all night. We have traveled on interstate and secondary roads, traveled through some beautiful land and a lot of farm land. The farmers a busy getting the ground ready for this years crops, a lot of plowing. We have also stayed at some very nice campgrounds and a couple that would not get a second stay. Met some nice people also. One ranger at Gull Lake Campground in Minnesota was on his second day on the job and his grandparents live in Fiddlesticks in Ft Myers during the winter. We are having a good trip and enjoy the country. Here are a few pictures on this leg of our trip.

Two geese and some little ones crossing the road in the campground at Rock Cut State Park near Rockford, Ill.

Lake at Rock Cut State Park near Rockford, Ill.

We think this was a beaver taking a stick or something over to its nest area on the lake.

Turkeys we saw at Rock Cut State park at Rockford, Illinois

The geese and their little ones

Ducks playing the lake at Rock Cut State Park near Rockford, Ill.

Campground at Highland Ridge Campground near Spring Valley, Wisconsin. We were the only ones in the campground except for the campground host.

Highland Ridge Campground

The following pictures are at Gull Lake Rec Area Campground near Brainerd/Baxter, Minnesota. This was a nice park and campground hosts was very helpful and friendly.

This is the spillway at Gull Lake, not very big but the water was really running through it.

A fat squirrel eating on something and not paying me any mind.

This is Gull Lake. I walked down to the beach and the wind was very cold coming off the water. The sign said no life guard on duty swim at you own risk.

This duck was playing in the water, until I got to close.

Lake Ashtabula and playground at East Ashtabula campground just north of Valley City, North Dakota. It got very cold there, temp dropped to 29.

Linda had to put her hand in the water to see how cold it was, I already knew without touching it, : )

When we got up the temp us up to 30.

The Missouri River at Downstream Campground at Garrison Dam near Riverdale, North Dakota. This is where we are at tonight (5/15/2014). It is not suppose to get as cold tonight although there are frost warnings for this area.